Area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre in New Zealand
New Zealand: Area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre was 34.63 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
34.63 hectares per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
40th
of 197 countries
All-time high
55.96 hectares per square kilometre
in 1981
All-time low
34.63 hectares per square kilometre
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre in New Zealand, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre in New Zealand stood at 34.63 hectares per square kilometre. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre in New Zealand peaked at 55.96 hectares per square kilometre in 1981 and was at its lowest, 34.63 hectares per square kilometre, in 2023.
That places New Zealand 40th out of 197 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 48.45 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 48.77 hectares per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 48.92 hectares per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 49.03 hectares per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 48.79 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 48.71 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 48.77 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 48.77 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 48.18 hectares per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 48.16 hectares per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1971 | 48.16 hectares per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 49.68 hectares per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1973 | 49.68 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 49.68 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 51.38 hectares per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1976 | 52.88 hectares per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 52.58 hectares per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 53.42 hectares per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 53.13 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 53.76 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 55.96 hectares per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1982 | 53.74 hectares per square kilometre | -4.0% |
| 1983 | 53.58 hectares per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 53.09 hectares per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 52.72 hectares per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 52.72 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 52.45 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 52.3 hectares per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 51.94 hectares per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 51.23 hectares per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 50.62 hectares per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 50.01 hectares per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 49.4 hectares per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 48.8 hectares per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 48.19 hectares per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 47.58 hectares per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 46.97 hectares per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 46.36 hectares per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 45.75 hectares per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 45.14 hectares per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 44.53 hectares per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 43.92 hectares per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 43.25 hectares per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 43.32 hectares per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 42.63 hectares per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 41.45 hectares per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 41.73 hectares per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 41.21 hectares per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 41.58 hectares per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 41.16 hectares per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 41.13 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 40.37 hectares per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 39.83 hectares per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 39.72 hectares per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 38.61 hectares per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 38 hectares per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 38.3 hectares per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 37.63 hectares per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 36.93 hectares per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 36.28 hectares per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 36.02 hectares per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 34.72 hectares per square kilometre | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 34.63 hectares per square kilometre | -0.3% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 34.63 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.66 hectares per square kilometre, 3.6× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 34.63 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.93 hectares per square kilometre, 11.8× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 48.71 hectares per square kilometre | 48.18 hectares per square kilometre | 49.03 hectares per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 50.87 hectares per square kilometre | 48.16 hectares per square kilometre | 53.42 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 53.23 hectares per square kilometre | 51.94 hectares per square kilometre | 55.96 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 48.49 hectares per square kilometre | 45.75 hectares per square kilometre | 51.23 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.88 hectares per square kilometre | 41.21 hectares per square kilometre | 45.14 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.17 hectares per square kilometre | 36.93 hectares per square kilometre | 41.16 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.41 hectares per square kilometre | 34.63 hectares per square kilometre | 36.28 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 37 Mauritania 38.08 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 38 Kenya 36.67 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 39 Chad 35.74 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 41 British Virgin Islands 33.33 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 42 Angola 32.37 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 43 Colombia 31.99 hectares per square kilometre compare
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4532 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0459 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.52 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 42.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 47.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2499 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre in New Zealand?
- Area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre in New Zealand was 34.63 hectares per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 55.96 hectares per square kilometre in 1981.
- What is the lowest area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.63 hectares per square kilometre in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre?
- New Zealand ranks 40th out of 197 countries with data for 2023.
- Is area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Area of permanent meadows and pastures, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Area of permanent meadows and pastures divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Area of permanent meadows and pastures ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Area of permanent meadows and pastures Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Area of permanent meadows and pastures divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.