Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in New Zealand
New Zealand: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 84.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
84.0%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
58th
of 238 countries
All-time high
85.9%
in 2006
All-time low
0.0%
in 1200
Years of data
106
1200–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in New Zealand, 1200–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in New Zealand stood at 84.0%.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in New Zealand peaked at 85.9% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1200.
New Zealand ranks 58th of 238 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 106 years of available data.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 | 0.0% | — |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.3% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 1.0% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 3.2% | +216.7% |
| 1720 | 5.3% | +68.4% |
| 1730 | 7.5% | +40.6% |
| 1740 | 9.7% | +28.9% |
| 1750 | 11.8% | +22.4% |
| 1760 | 14.0% | +18.3% |
| 1770 | 16.2% | +15.5% |
| 1780 | 18.3% | +13.4% |
| 1790 | 20.5% | +11.8% |
| 1800 | 22.7% | +10.6% |
| 1810 | 24.8% | +9.6% |
| 1820 | 27.0% | +8.7% |
| 1830 | 29.2% | +8.0% |
| 1840 | 31.3% | +7.4% |
| 1850 | 33.5% | +6.9% |
| 1860 | 35.7% | +6.5% |
| 1870 | 37.8% | +6.1% |
| 1880 | 40.0% | +5.7% |
| 1890 | 44.6% | +11.6% |
| 1900 | 49.3% | +10.4% |
| 1910 | 53.9% | +9.4% |
| 1920 | 58.6% | +8.6% |
| 1930 | 63.2% | +7.9% |
| 1940 | 67.9% | +7.3% |
| 1950 | 55.2% | -18.6% |
| 1951 | 55.2% | -0.1% |
| 1952 | 55.1% | -0.1% |
| 1953 | 55.1% | -0.1% |
| 1954 | 55.1% | -0.0% |
| 1955 | 55.1% | -0.0% |
| 1956 | 55.2% | +0.2% |
| 1957 | 56.2% | +1.8% |
| 1958 | 58.0% | +3.3% |
| 1959 | 60.3% | +3.8% |
| 1960 | 62.4% | +3.5% |
| 1961 | 63.9% | +2.4% |
| 1962 | 64.9% | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 65.7% | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 66.5% | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 67.4% | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 68.8% | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 71.3% | +3.6% |
| 1968 | 74.6% | +4.6% |
| 1969 | 77.9% | +4.4% |
| 1970 | 80.4% | +3.3% |
| 1971 | 81.5% | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 81.9% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 82.3% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 82.5% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 82.7% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 82.9% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 83.1% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 83.2% | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 83.3% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 83.4% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 83.5% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 83.6% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 83.6% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 83.7% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 83.8% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 83.9% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 84.1% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 84.3% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 84.6% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 84.8% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 85.0% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 85.1% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 85.2% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 85.3% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 85.4% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 85.5% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 85.5% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 85.6% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 85.7% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 85.7% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 85.8% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 85.8% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 85.9% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 85.9% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 85.9% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 85.9% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 85.9% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 85.9% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 85.9% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 85.9% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 85.8% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 85.8% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 85.7% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 85.5% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 85.2% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 84.7% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 84.2% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 83.8% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 83.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 83.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 83.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 83.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 83.9% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 83.9% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 84.0% | +0.1% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 84.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 84.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 65.4%, 1.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in New Zealand changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1710 | +216.7% | 1.0% | 3.2% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 1700 | +200.0% | 0.3% | 1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1700s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1 |
| 1720s | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 1 |
| 1730s | 7.5% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 1 |
| 1740s | 9.7% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 1 |
| 1750s | 11.8% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 1 |
| 1760s | 14.0% | 14.0% | 14.0% | 1 |
| 1770s | 16.2% | 16.2% | 16.2% | 1 |
| 1780s | 18.3% | 18.3% | 18.3% | 1 |
| 1790s | 20.5% | 20.5% | 20.5% | 1 |
| 1800s | 22.7% | 22.7% | 22.7% | 1 |
| 1810s | 24.8% | 24.8% | 24.8% | 1 |
| 1820s | 27.0% | 27.0% | 27.0% | 1 |
| 1830s | 29.2% | 29.2% | 29.2% | 1 |
| 1840s | 31.3% | 31.3% | 31.3% | 1 |
| 1850s | 33.5% | 33.5% | 33.5% | 1 |
| 1860s | 35.7% | 35.7% | 35.7% | 1 |
| 1870s | 37.8% | 37.8% | 37.8% | 1 |
| 1880s | 40.0% | 40.0% | 40.0% | 1 |
| 1890s | 44.6% | 44.6% | 44.6% | 1 |
| 1900s | 49.3% | 49.3% | 49.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 53.9% | 53.9% | 53.9% | 1 |
| 1920s | 58.6% | 58.6% | 58.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 63.2% | 63.2% | 63.2% | 1 |
| 1940s | 67.9% | 67.9% | 67.9% | 1 |
| 1950s | 56.0% | 55.1% | 60.3% | 10 |
| 1960s | 68.3% | 62.4% | 77.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 82.4% | 80.4% | 83.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 83.8% | 83.4% | 84.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 85.3% | 84.8% | 85.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 85.9% | 85.7% | 85.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 85.0% | 83.8% | 85.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.9% | 83.8% | 84.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 55 Switzerland 85.7% compare
- 56 Peru 85.6% compare
- 57 Saudi Arabia 84.6% compare
- 59 Norway 83.6% compare
- 60 United Kingdom 83.3% compare
- 61 Canada 82.9% 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 do more people live in urban or rural areas? in New Zealand?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in New Zealand was 84.0% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 85.9% in 2006.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1200.
- How does New Zealand rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- New Zealand ranks 58th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 106 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.