New Zealand — Life expectancy
Life Expectancy at Birth for New Zealand, 1960–2024.
Life expectancy for New Zealand was 82.0 in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1960 to 2024. The highest recorded value was 82.3 in 2020. The lowest was 71.0 in 1961 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.22% per year.
New Zealand ranks 35 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 16%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 73.0, so New Zealand sits above it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 0% since. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved up 1%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 8 of 37 economies; Northern Mariana Islands (78.9) is just below it.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 12th of 215 in 1960 → 21st of 216 in 1970 → 31st of 216 in 1980 → 29th of 217 in 1990 → 19th of 217 in 2000 → 24th of 217 in 2010 → 18th of 217 in 2020 → 35th of 217 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2024
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 82.01 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 81.76 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 81.96 | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 82.21 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 82.26 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 82.06 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 81.71 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 81.86 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 81.66 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 81.61 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 81.46 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 81.4 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 81.41 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 81.16 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 80.9 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 80.7 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 80.35 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 80.15 | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 80.05 | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 79.85 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 79.55 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 79.15 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 78.85 | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 78.69 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 78.64 | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 77.89 | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 78.09 | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 77.33 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 76.79 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 76.73 | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 76.88 | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 76.43 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 76.12 | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 76.03 | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 75.38 | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 74.82 | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 74.42 | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 74.18 | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 74.12 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 73.83 | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 74.37 | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 73.78 | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 73.72 | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 73.62 | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 72.83 | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 73.07 | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 73.02 | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 72.17 | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 72.42 | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 72.22 | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 71.92 | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 71.67 | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 71.83 | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 71.77 | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 71.27 | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 71.47 | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 71.12 | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 71.47 | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 71.12 | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 71.23 | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 71.33 | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 71.28 | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 71.23 | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 70.99 | -0.4% |
| 1960 | 71.24 | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was New Zealand’s Life expectancy in 1961?
70.99 (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are New Zealand’s Life expectancy figures nominal or inflation-adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — years — with no inflation restatement and no PPP conversion. Years the source does not report are omitted rather than interpolated.
Is New Zealand’s Life expectancy growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +15.1% in total — about 0.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2024: 82.01; 2023: 81.76; 2022: 81.96; 2021: 82.21; 2020: 82.26. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.DYN.LE00.IN — Life Expectancy at Birth. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.