Rural population in New Zealand
New Zealand: Rural population was 16.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in New Zealand, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in New Zealand is 16.0%, 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 in New Zealand peaked at 37.6% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 14.1%, in 2006.
New Zealand ranks 171st of 218 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 37.6% | — |
| 1961 | 36.1% | -4.0% |
| 1962 | 35.1% | -2.7% |
| 1963 | 34.3% | -2.3% |
| 1964 | 33.5% | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 32.6% | -2.9% |
| 1966 | 31.2% | -4.3% |
| 1967 | 28.7% | -7.9% |
| 1968 | 25.4% | -11.5% |
| 1969 | 22.1% | -13.0% |
| 1970 | 19.6% | -11.5% |
| 1971 | 18.5% | -5.5% |
| 1972 | 18.1% | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 17.7% | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 17.5% | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 17.3% | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 17.1% | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 16.9% | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 16.8% | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 16.7% | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 16.6% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 16.5% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 16.4% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 16.4% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 16.3% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 16.2% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 16.1% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 15.9% | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 15.7% | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 15.4% | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 15.2% | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 15.0% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 14.9% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 14.8% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 14.7% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 14.6% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 14.5% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 14.5% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 14.4% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 14.3% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 14.3% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 14.2% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 14.2% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 14.1% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 14.1% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 14.1% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 14.1% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 14.1% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 14.1% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 14.1% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 14.1% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 14.2% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 14.2% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 14.3% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 14.5% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 14.8% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 15.3% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 15.8% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 16.2% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 16.2% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 16.2% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 16.2% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 16.1% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 16.1% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 16.1% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 16.0% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 31.7% | 22.1% | 37.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 17.6% | 16.7% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.2% | 15.4% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.7% | 14.3% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.1% | 14.1% | 14.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.0% | 14.1% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.1% | 16.0% | 16.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 168 Canada 17.1% compare
- 169 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 16.7% compare
- 170 Norway 16.4% compare
- 172 Saudi Arabia 15.4% compare
- 173 Peru 14.4% compare
- 174 Switzerland 14.3% 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)
- Rural population, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.0% (2023)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in New Zealand?
- Rural population in New Zealand was 16.0% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 37.6% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.1% in 2006.
- How does New Zealand rank for rural population?
- New Zealand ranks 171st out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population 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 World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.