New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand · Capital: Wellington

LIVE

Population now

5,024,274

As of 2026, the population of New Zealand is approximately 5,024,274 (live estimate), growing at 0.46% per year with a birth rate of 11.8 and a death rate of 7.2 per 1,000 people. The population is 49.4% male and 50.6% female, at a density of 18.6 people per km².

Neighbouring countries are clickable

Births today—

Deaths today—

Net increase today—

Growth rate / yr—

Key indicators

Birth rate: 11.8 /1,000/yr
Death rate: 7.2 /1,000/yr
Literacy: 99.0%
Smoking: 13.7%
Density: 18.6 /km²
Life expectancy: 77.8 yrs

Male —

Female —

What's trending

Simulated feed. Connect a trends API to replace it.

Demographic profile

New Zealand is the 126th most populous of the 238 countries and territories tracked on this site, home to about 0.06% of everyone alive. Within Australia and New Zealand, it ranks 2 of 5.

Each day brings roughly 162 births and 99 deaths, adding about 23,010 people over a year. At the current natural-increase rate of 0.46% annually, the population would double in roughly 152 years if the rate held. Real trajectories bend as fertility, mortality and migration shift, which is why the chart below shows both history and projection.

Among its first-level divisions, the largest by our modelled allocation is Chatham Islands, holding an estimated 24.1% of the national population. The full breakdown of all 17 states and regions is in the table below — regional figures outside Sudan are modelled estimates built on real region names, and are flagged as such.

Literacy stands near 99.0% and adult smoking prevalence around 13.7%, with life expectancy at about 77.8 years. Baselines come from UN World Population Prospects, the World Bank, WHO surveys, WorldPop and HDX; the counters project them forward in real time — the method, and every caveat, is documented on our data sources page.

Quick answers

What is the population of New Zealand in 2026? Approximately 5,024,274 people (live projection; the counter above updates every second).

How fast is New Zealand growing? About 0.46% per year — roughly 162 births and 99 deaths every day.

What share of the world lives in New Zealand? Around 0.06% — ranked 126 worldwide by population.

Population history & projection

Breakdown by states / regions

Regional figures are modelled estimates: real region names, populations allocated from the national total. Sudan carries curated state data.

State / region	Population	Male %	Birth rate	Death rate	Education %	Smoking %
Chatham Islands	1,213,236	49.8%	11.0	7.3	99.5%	16.1%
Manawatu-Whanganui	673,084	49.0%	10.8	6.5	99.5%	14.5%
West Coast	476,861	50.3%	12.0	6.6	95.6%	11.3%
Wellington	373,417	48.6%	10.4	6.9	99.1%	15.8%
Northland	308,902	49.9%	10.7	6.8	94.4%	10.7%
Nelson	264,555	48.9%	11.8	6.5	94.3%	15.6%
Southland	232,066	50.4%	11.1	7.8	98.5%	10.7%
Auckland	207,166	49.7%	10.8	6.8	99.5%	10.4%
Hawke's Bay	187,430	48.9%	12.3	7.3	99.5%	16.2%
Canterbury	171,374	49.5%	11.8	8.0	93.9%	16.6%
Marlborough	158,038	49.6%	11.2	7.3	99.5%	13.2%
Taranaki	146,771	50.5%	11.2	8.0	96.6%	13.0%
Gisborne	137,117	49.0%	10.6	7.4	99.5%	13.3%
Tasman	128,746	50.4%	10.7	7.3	99.5%	15.3%
Waikato	121,413	48.8%	12.0	7.5	95.8%	10.9%
Bay of Plenty	114,932	48.8%	10.8	8.0	99.5%	15.3%
Otago	109,160	48.4%	12.0	6.9	96.7%	14.0%