Facts and Figures About New Zealand
Who doesn’t like a good statistic? Here, we have a whole bunch of interesting statistics for New Zealand to make this list of New Zealand in Numbers.
New Zealand is a land of firsts: first bungy jump, first jet boat, and first suffrage. It has the world’s longest place name! So no wonder there are many fun statistics about NZ! Scroll down to the numbers to be shocked, surprised and stunned by these New Zealand numbers.
For more random stuff see: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About New Zealand.
0 Nuclear Plants
in New Zealand.
3,500,000 Tourists
came to NZ in 2016…
100,000 Working Holidaymakers
100,000 of those were working holidaymakers. Find out how you could be the next one in How to Get a Working Holiday Visa?
35,000 Bungy Jumps
people a year jump from the bungy jump birthplace: Kawarau bridge. Find out some other awesome places to bungy jump in the 7 Epic Places to Bungy Jump in New Zealand.
30% Forest
30% of New Zealand is forest.
7 Sheep
to every one person in NZ.
100kg
of butter is made per citizen.
65kg
of cheese is made per citizen.
6.7% Australian
6.7%of visitors to New Zealand are from Australia (2017) and yep, that’s the largest majority of visitors from one country.
85 letters
85 is the number of letters in NZ’s (and the world’s) longest place name: Taumatawhakatangihangak oauauotamateaturipukaka pikimaungahoronukupokaiwhe nua kitanatahu. You can find it in the Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand.
66 Days
is the world’s longest blackout… and it happened in Auckland.
90%
of new migrants say the relaxed pace of life is the main thing they like about living in New Zealand.
3,754m
is the highest mountain, Aoraki Mt Cook. See it for yourself in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park!
4,800,000
is the population of New Zealand
53,715 Jedis
The number of people on the 2001 census that listed their religion at ‘Jedi’.
$200,000,000
The amount of money The Lord of the Rings movies pumped into the economy.
55 Miles
is the length of Ninety Mile Beach (!?)
1893
The year that both women and men got the right to vote! That makes New Zealand the first country to give women the right to vote!
2,500,000 Cars
for for 4,600,000 people. That means New Zealand has one of the highest car ownership rates in the world.
41.2 Degrees South
is the position of Wellington, making it the most southern capital city in the world!
128km
No part of NZ is more than this distance away from the sea. You can snowboard and surf in the same day! Just so you know, 128km is 80 miles.
5% Human
5% of New Zealand’s population is human. The rest are animals.
2,000,000,000 Litres
of water is pushed from Te Waikoropupu Springs. That’s more water than any other spring in the world. It is enough drinking for the whole country. For you Americans, 2,000,000,000 litres is 528,344,105 gallons.
1.2 Metres
is the length of the world’s smallest dolphins: Hector’s Dolphins. They are only found in New Zealand waters. And 1.2 metres is about 4 feet.
More Facts About New Zealand
Sources:
The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:
- Tourism New Zealand (General travel advice - Updated [2024])
- Immigration New Zealand (Visa and immigration advice - Updated [2024])
- New Zealand Customs Service (Customs and Biosecurity - Updated [2024])
- New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD online platform - Updated [2024])
- Tiaki Promise (Care for people place and culture - Updated [2024])
- Safe Travel (NZ travel advisories - Updated [2024])
- Stats NZ (Statistics and travel data - Updated [2024])
- Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (Road and transport tips - Updated [2024])
- DriveSafe (Road safety - Updated [2024])
- Council websites and freedom camping maps (Local travel advice region by region - Updated [2024])
- AdventureSmart (Know before you go - Update [2024])
Our editorial standards: At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.
About The Author
Robin C.
This article has been reviewed and approved by Robin, who is the co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. With more than 15 years of experience in the New Zealand tourism industry, Robin has co-founded three influential tourism businesses and five additional travel guides for South Pacific nations. He is an expert in New Zealand travel and has tested over 600 activities and 300+ accommodations across the country.