Rural population, per capita in New Zealand
New Zealand: Rural population, per capita was 0.16 units per person in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population, per capita in New Zealand, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population, per capita in New Zealand is 0.16 units per person, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per capita in New Zealand peaked at 0.3762 units per person in 1960 and was at its lowest, 0.1406 units per person, in 2006.
That places New Zealand 169th out of 216 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population, per capita in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.3762 units per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.3613 units per person | -4.0% |
| 1962 | 0.3514 units per person | -2.7% |
| 1963 | 0.3433 units per person | -2.3% |
| 1964 | 0.3353 units per person | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 0.3256 units per person | -2.9% |
| 1966 | 0.3117 units per person | -4.3% |
| 1967 | 0.287 units per person | -7.9% |
| 1968 | 0.254 units per person | -11.5% |
| 1969 | 0.2209 units per person | -13.0% |
| 1970 | 0.1955 units per person | -11.5% |
| 1971 | 0.1848 units per person | -5.5% |
| 1972 | 0.1807 units per person | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 0.1774 units per person | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 0.1748 units per person | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 0.1728 units per person | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 0.171 units per person | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 0.1695 units per person | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 0.1681 units per person | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 0.167 units per person | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 0.1659 units per person | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 0.165 units per person | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 0.1643 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 0.1637 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 0.1631 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 0.1624 units per person | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 0.1613 units per person | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 0.1595 units per person | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 0.157 units per person | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 0.1545 units per person | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 0.1522 units per person | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 0.1505 units per person | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 0.1492 units per person | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 0.148 units per person | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 0.147 units per person | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 0.1461 units per person | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 0.1453 units per person | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 0.1446 units per person | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 0.144 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 0.1434 units per person | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 0.1429 units per person | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 0.1425 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 0.1419 units per person | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 0.1414 units per person | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 0.141 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 0.1407 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 0.1406 units per person | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.1407 units per person | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.1409 units per person | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.1411 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 0.1414 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 0.1418 units per person | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 0.1422 units per person | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 0.1429 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 0.1449 units per person | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 0.1485 units per person | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 0.1531 units per person | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 0.1583 units per person | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 0.162 units per person | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 0.162 units per person | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.1619 units per person | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 0.1617 units per person | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 0.1615 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 0.1611 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 0.1606 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 0.16 units per person | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3167 units per person | 0.2209 units per person | 0.3762 units per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1762 units per person | 0.167 units per person | 0.1955 units per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1617 units per person | 0.1545 units per person | 0.1659 units per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.147 units per person | 0.1434 units per person | 0.1522 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1414 units per person | 0.1406 units per person | 0.1429 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1497 units per person | 0.1414 units per person | 0.162 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1611 units per person | 0.16 units per person | 0.1619 units per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 166 Canada 0.1712 units per person compare
- 167 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 0.1668 units per person compare
- 168 Norway 0.1643 units per person compare
- 170 Saudi Arabia 0.1539 units per person compare
- 171 Peru 0.144 units per person compare
- 172 Switzerland 0.1427 units per person compare
More agriculture & rural data for New Zealand
- 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)
- Agriculture share gdp 4.01 (2023)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 4.01 (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2025)
- Rural population 16.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per capita in New Zealand?
- Rural population, per capita in New Zealand was 0.16 units per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per capita recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3762 units per person in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population, per capita recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1406 units per person in 2006.
- How does New Zealand rank for rural population, per capita?
- New Zealand ranks 169th out of 216 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population, per capita rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. 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 Rural population, 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
Rural population divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- 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
Rural population divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.