Military personnel in New Zealand
New Zealand: Military personnel was 9,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in New Zealand, 1922–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 9,000 people for military personnel in 2022.
The figure is down 10.0% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in New Zealand peaked at 157,000 people in 1944 and was at its lowest, 1,000 people, in 1922.
That places New Zealand 127th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 1,000 people | 1,000 people | 1,000 people | 8 |
| 1930s | 1,000 people | 1,000 people | 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1940s | 103,000 people | 1,000 people | 157,000 people | 4 |
| 1950s | 10,400 people | 9,000 people | 12,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 12,800 people | 12,000 people | 14,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 13,300 people | 13,000 people | 14,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 12,600 people | 12,000 people | 13,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 10,400 people | 10,000 people | 11,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 9,000 people | 9,000 people | 9,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 9,300 people | 9,000 people | 10,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,333 people | 9,000 people | 10,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 127 Botswana 9,000 people compare
- 127 Central African Republic 9,000 people compare
- 127 Sierra Leone 9,000 people compare
- 127 Tajikistan 9,000 people compare
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.76 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0464 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2008 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Consumer price index 144.86 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5251 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.5536 °C (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in New Zealand?
- Military personnel in New Zealand was 9,000 people in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 157,000 people in 1944.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,000 people in 1922.
- How does New Zealand rank for military personnel?
- New Zealand ranks 127th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 95 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.