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New Zealand — Urban population
Urban Population (% of Total) for New Zealand, 1960–2025.
Latest value · 2025
84.00%
Urban Population (% of Total) · % of total population · +34.7% since 1960
Urban population for New Zealand was 84.00% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 85.94% in 2006. The lowest was 62.38% in 1960 (about 1.3× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.46% per year.
New Zealand ranks 48 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 22%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 65.45%, so New Zealand sits above it. It peaked in 2006 and has fallen 2% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 1%.
Key figures
Latest (2025)
84.00%
First (1960)
62.38%
Change
+34.7%
Highest
85.94%
in 2006
Lowest
62.38%
in 1960
Average
81.98%
Annual growth (CAGR)
0.46%
Years of data
66
Recent years
| Year | % of total population |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 84% |
| 2024 | 83.94% |
| 2023 | 83.89% |
| 2022 | 83.85% |
| 2021 | 83.83% |
| 2020 | 83.81% |
| 2019 | 83.8% |
| 2018 | 83.8% |
| 2017 | 84.17% |
| 2016 | 84.69% |
| 2015 | 85.15% |
| 2014 | 85.51% |
Reading this correctly. Share of the population living in urban areas, as defined by national statistical offices. Not directly comparable across countries because definitions of 'urban' differ. Figures are in % of total population. Comparing this series with a different measure of the same concept (for example a nominal figure against a purchasing-power-parity figure) will give misleading results.
Related data
Source. World Bank Open Data, indicator
SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS — Urban Population (% of Total). 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.