Air passengers in New Zealand

New Zealand: Air passengers was 15.03 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
15.03 million
Change on year
up 28.3%
World rank
44th
of 183 countries
All-time high
17.76 million
in 2019
All-time low
1.86 million
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Air passengers in New Zealand, 1970–2023

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M197019962023

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2023, air passengers in New Zealand stood at 15.03 million.

The figure is up 28.3% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air passengers in New Zealand peaked at 17.76 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.86 million, in 1970.

That places New Zealand 44th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.79 million 1.86 million 3.81 million 10
1980s 4.12 million 3.07 million 5.72 million 10
1990s 7.60 million 5.37 million 9.60 million 10
2000s 11.90 million 10.78 million 12.95 million 10
2010s 15.00 million 13.30 million 17.76 million 10
2020s 11.00 million 8.52 million 15.03 million 4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 41 Panama 15.75 million compare
  2. 42 South Africa 15.45 million compare
  3. 43 Ethiopia 15.27 million compare
  4. 45 Norway 12.28 million compare
  5. 46 Kazakhstan 11.88 million compare
  6. 47 Belgium 11.39 million compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is air passengers in New Zealand?
Air passengers in New Zealand was 15.03 million in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest air passengers recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 17.76 million in 2019.
What is the lowest air passengers recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 1.86 million in 1970.
How does New Zealand rank for air passengers?
New Zealand ranks 44th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is air passengers rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Air passengers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Air passengers
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Domestic and international passengers of airlines registered in the country. Passengers counted each time they travel.