Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita in New Zealand
New Zealand: Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita was 1.76 hectares per person in 2025. ▼ Falling
Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita in New Zealand, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per person.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 1.76 hectares per person for agricultural area over the long-term, per capita in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 24.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural area over the long-term, per capita in New Zealand peaked at 5.55 hectares per person in 1960 and was at its lowest, 1.76 hectares per person, in 2025.
That places New Zealand 19th out of 189 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.55 hectares per person | — |
| 1961 | 5.44 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1962 | 5.34 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1963 | 5.25 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 1964 | 5.15 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1965 | 5.04 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1966 | 4.95 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1967 | 4.86 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 4.82 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 4.72 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1970 | 4.66 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 1971 | 4.59 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 4.64 hectares per person | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 4.55 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1974 | 4.46 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 4.52 hectares per person | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 4.61 hectares per person | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 4.58 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1978 | 4.64 hectares per person | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 4.65 hectares per person | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 4.69 hectares per person | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 4.86 hectares per person | +3.7% |
| 1982 | 4.63 hectares per person | -4.7% |
| 1983 | 4.56 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 4.48 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 1985 | 4.43 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 4.43 hectares per person | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 4.36 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 4.32 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 4.27 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 4.18 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 3.94 hectares per person | -5.8% |
| 1992 | 3.85 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 3.76 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 3.67 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 3.57 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 3.48 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 3.39 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 3.32 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 3.26 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 3.2 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 3.14 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 3.05 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 2.94 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 2.91 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 2.83 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 2.72 hectares per person | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 2.72 hectares per person | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2.67 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 2.67 hectares per person | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 2.62 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 2.59 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 2.54 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 2.5 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 2.46 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 2.32 hectares per person | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 2.25 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 2.21 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 2.14 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 2.08 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 2 hectares per person | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 2 hectares per person | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.92 hectares per person | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 1.86 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 2024 | 1.8 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 2025 | 1.76 hectares per person | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.11 hectares per person | 4.72 hectares per person | 5.55 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.59 hectares per person | 4.46 hectares per person | 4.66 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.5 hectares per person | 4.27 hectares per person | 4.86 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.64 hectares per person | 3.26 hectares per person | 4.18 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.88 hectares per person | 2.67 hectares per person | 3.2 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.37 hectares per person | 2.08 hectares per person | 2.62 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.89 hectares per person | 1.76 hectares per person | 2 hectares per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More agriculture & rural data for New Zealand
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 1.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1262 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate -1.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -10.07 % change on previous year (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,976 current US$ per person (2023)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.275 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural area over the long-term, per capita in New Zealand?
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita in New Zealand was 1.76 hectares per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest agricultural area over the long-term, per capita recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 5.55 hectares per person in 1960.
- What is the lowest agricultural area over the long-term, per capita recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.76 hectares per person in 2025.
- How does New Zealand rank for agricultural area over the long-term, per capita?
- New Zealand ranks 19th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
- Is agricultural area over the long-term, per capita rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.5%. 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 Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Agricultural area over the long-term divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Agricultural area over the long-term ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Agricultural area over the long-term HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
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
Agricultural area over the long-term divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.