What is the highest surface area recorded in New Zealand?

The highest recorded value was 267,710 sq. km in 1961.

What is the lowest surface area recorded in New Zealand?

The lowest recorded value was 267,710 sq. km in 1961.

How does New Zealand rank for surface area?

New Zealand ranks 75th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.

Is surface area rising or falling in New Zealand?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.

Surface area (sq. km) in New Zealand

Name: Surface area (sq. km) in New Zealand
Creator: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
License: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)

New Zealand: Surface area (sq. km) was 267,710 sq. km in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)

267,710 sq. km

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

75th

of 216 countries

All-time high

267,710 sq. km

in 1961

All-time low

267,710 sq. km

in 1961

Years of data

1961–2024

Surface area in New Zealand, 1961–2024

Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.

Analysis

New Zealand recorded 267,710 sq. km for surface area in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, surface area in New Zealand peaked at 267,710 sq. km in 1961 and was at its lowest, 267,710 sq. km, in 1961.

New Zealand ranks 75th of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Surface area (sq. km) in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Surface area (sq. km) in New Zealand, 1961 to 2024.
Year	sq. km	Change
1961	267,710 sq. km	—
1962	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1963	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1964	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1965	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1966	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1967	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1968	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1969	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1970	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1971	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1972	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1973	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1974	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1975	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1976	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1977	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1978	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1979	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1980	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1981	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1982	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1983	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1984	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1985	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1986	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1987	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1988	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1989	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1990	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1991	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1992	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1993	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1994	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1995	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1996	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1997	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1998	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
1999	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2000	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2001	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2002	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2003	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2004	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2005	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2006	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2007	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2008	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2009	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2010	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2011	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2012	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2013	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2014	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2015	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2016	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2017	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2018	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2019	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2020	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2021	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2022	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2023	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%
2024	267,710 sq. km	+0.0%

New Zealand compared with similar countries

New Zealand's 267,710 sq. km is above the median for high income countries, which is 30,689 sq. km, 8.7× the median. (85 countries reporting)
New Zealand's 267,710 sq. km is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 18,333 sq. km, 14.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	9
1970s	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	10
1980s	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	10
1990s	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	10
2000s	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	10
2010s	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	10
2020s	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	267,710 sq. km	5

Countries ranked near New Zealand

72 Italy 302,070 sq. km compare
73 Philippines 300,000 sq. km compare
74 Burkina Faso 274,200 sq. km compare
76 Gabon 267,670 sq. km compare
77 Ecuador 256,370 sq. km compare
78 Guinea 245,857 sq. km compare

See the full ranking of 264 places →

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)
Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 1.76 hectares per person (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)

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is surface area in New Zealand?: Surface area in New Zealand was 267,710 sq. km in 2024, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
What is the highest surface area recorded in New Zealand?: The highest recorded value was 267,710 sq. km in 1961.
What is the lowest surface area recorded in New Zealand?: The lowest recorded value was 267,710 sq. km in 1961.
How does New Zealand rank for surface area?: New Zealand ranks 75th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
Is surface area rising or falling in New Zealand?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?: The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Surface area (sq. km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Surface area in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/surface-area-sq-km/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator: Surface area (sq. km)
Unit: sq. km
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 264 places, 16,669 data points, 1961–2024
Last refreshed: 12 November 2026

Surface area is a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.