New Zealand population pyramid 2026
Oceania · Australia/New Zealand
5,287,479 people in 2026 (projected). New Zealand’s pyramid bulges at ages 30–39, where immigration has more than replaced the young adults who leave, chiefly for Australia, as births decline.
- 2026 population
- 5.3Mrank 126 of 237
- Median age
- 38.0 yearsoldest rank 86
- Fertility rate
- 1.64births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older18.0% age 65+
New Zealand population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
New Zealand age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 17.6% of the population, while 18.0% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 64.3% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies New Zealand’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 55.5: about 56 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (27.4 children and 28.0 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes New Zealand’s population pyramid
A strong post-war baby boom
New Zealand’s post-war baby boom was one of the strongest in the developed world. The total fertility rate rose from about 3.6 in 1950 to 4.2 in 1960, and in the 1975 pyramid the three bands under 15 are each wider than any band above them. Fertility then fell to about two by 1980. The boom generation now spans roughly ages 55–79, and in 2026 the bands from 50 to 64 are about as wide as those of people in their forties, giving the upper pyramid a broad shoulder that will feed rapid growth in the oldest ages. Earlier history is visible too: in 1950 the 15–19 band, born in the Depression years of the early 1930s, is a small notch beneath the wider bands on either side.
Migration in both directions
The widest bands in 2026 are at ages 30–39, wider than the bands of children below them. That shape comes largely from migration rather than births. New Zealanders, especially young adults, have long moved to Australia, but arrivals from Asia, the Pacific and Europe have exceeded departures for most of the past quarter-century. The UN estimates a net gain of about 680,000 people between 2000 and 2023, slightly more than the number by which births exceeded deaths over the same years. Men outnumber women at every age from childhood to the early thirties, mainly because more boys are born than girls; the ratio edges up to about 107 men per 100 women at ages 25–29.
Women still predominate at older ages, but less than in many rich countries: at 80–84 there are about 85 men per 100 women, reflecting a life expectancy gap of only about three years. Life expectancy at birth was about 82 in 2023, which places New Zealand among the higher entries in the highest life expectancy ranking.
Fertility has fallen to about 1.6, and births at about 58,000 a year are not far above deaths at about 40,000. Under the UN medium scenario deaths first exceed births in 2047, and the population, about 5.3 million in 2026, peaks at about 5.9 million in 2078, sustained by continued net immigration. The guide to population ageing explains why migration slows, but does not stop, the rise in median age, projected at about 43 by 2050.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so New Zealand’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2047. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2025 and 2026.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, New Zealand is projected to record 57,999 births (about 159 births a day) and 39,926 deaths, a natural increase of 18,073. Net migration adds +16,435 people, ranking #37 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 1,412,879 births, 746,757 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +682,170. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +314,646 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 84.1 years71.2 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 80.9 years67.4 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 20.9 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 3.5per 1,000 births · 28 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 4.4per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 30.8 yearssex ratio at birth 105.4
Women in New Zealand are projected to live 3.2 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 28 to 3.5 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #197 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 30.8 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for New Zealand
The median age of 38.0 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.64 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 82.5 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,287,479 | #126 | Largest first |
| Median age | 38.0 years | #86 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.64 | #143 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +0.7% | #122 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 82.5 years | #37 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 18.0% | #62 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in New Zealand
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35–39 | 384,687 | 7.3% | 192.2K / 192.5K |
| 2 | 30–34 | 375,784 | 7.1% | 192.8K / 183K |
| 3 | 25–29 | 343,901 | 6.5% | 177.6K / 166.3K |
| 4 | 15–19 | 343,279 | 6.5% | 176.4K / 166.9K |
| 5 | 40–44 | 341,457 | 6.5% | 169.2K / 172.3K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, New Zealand has 2,629,138 males and 2,658,341 females. That is 98.9 males per 100 females, ranking #98 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.7% of the population and females for 50.3%. There are 29,203 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 88.0 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 105.4 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How New Zealand has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 1,911,263 in 1950 to 5,287,479 in 2026, a change of 177%. Over the same span, median age moved from 28.4 to 38.0 years.
The under-15 share changed from 29.0% to 17.6%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 9.1% to 18.0%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, New Zealand’s population is projected to grow by about 9%, reaching 5,755,288 in 2050. The median age changes from 38.0 to 42.7 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 6.0 percentage points to 24.0%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 15.2%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 5,867,370 in 2078. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,911,263 | 28.4 | 3.55 | 69.3 | 49,102 | 18,044 | +6,098 | +1.9% |
| 1960 | 2,379,480 | 26.5 | 4.24 | 71.2 | 63,174 | 20,679 | +3,846 | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 2,822,177 | 24.6 | 3.17 | 71.2 | 62,139 | 24,547 | +4,511 | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 3,146,327 | 26.9 | 2.03 | 72.9 | 50,770 | 26,451 | −15,423 | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 3,396,979 | 30.1 | 2.17 | 75.4 | 59,775 | 26,426 | +70,432 | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 3,857,574 | 33.3 | 1.98 | 78.7 | 56,573 | 26,862 | −6,604 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 4,347,770 | 35.9 | 2.17 | 81.1 | 63,378 | 28,836 | +6,722 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 5,069,895 | 36.5 | 1.63 | 82.7 | 57,391 | 32,743 | +42,124 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 5,172,836 | 37.3 | 1.67 | 82.1 | 59,236 | 37,686 | +21,404 | +0.8% |
| 2024* | 5,213,944 | 37.5 | 1.66 | 82.2 | 59,121 | 38,623 | +18,766 | +0.8% |
| 2026* | 5,287,479 | 38.0 | 1.64 | 82.5 | 57,999 | 39,926 | +16,435 | +0.7% |
| 2030* | 5,407,349 | 39.2 | 1.62 | 83.1 | 56,210 | 42,892 | +12,297 | +0.5% |
| 2040* | 5,617,290 | 41.6 | 1.62 | 84.4 | 57,181 | 51,808 | +12,687 | +0.3% |
| 2050* | 5,755,288 | 42.7 | 1.62 | 85.7 | 56,138 | 58,699 | +13,647 | +0.2% |
| 2060* | 5,833,202 | 44.3 | 1.61 | 86.8 | 53,715 | 61,434 | +11,157 | +0.1% |
| 2070* | 5,859,042 | 45.6 | 1.62 | 87.9 | 52,965 | 61,802 | +9,506 | +0.0% |
| 2080* | 5,864,587 | 46.3 | 1.62 | 88.9 | 52,644 | 65,967 | +10,801 | -0.0% |
| 2090* | 5,836,503 | 46.8 | 1.62 | 90.0 | 51,197 | 65,141 | +12,877 | -0.0% |
| 2100* | 5,812,294 | 47.5 | 1.63 | 91.0 | 50,336 | 65,406 | +10,605 | -0.1% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 152,978 | 145,005 | 297,983 | 5.6% |
| 5–9 | 157,655 | 149,590 | 307,245 | 5.8% |
| 10–14 | 168,156 | 159,173 | 327,329 | 6.2% |
| 15–19 | 176,415 | 166,864 | 343,279 | 6.5% |
| 20–24 | 172,591 | 164,620 | 337,211 | 6.4% |
| 25–29 | 177,588 | 166,313 | 343,901 | 6.5% |
| 30–34 | 192,804 | 182,980 | 375,784 | 7.1% |
| 35–39 | 192,221 | 192,466 | 384,687 | 7.3% |
| 40–44 | 169,194 | 172,263 | 341,457 | 6.5% |
| 45–49 | 154,373 | 157,448 | 311,821 | 5.9% |
| 50–54 | 157,249 | 163,484 | 320,733 | 6.1% |
| 55–59 | 158,621 | 167,316 | 325,937 | 6.2% |
| 60–64 | 152,817 | 163,391 | 316,208 | 6.0% |
| 65–69 | 138,076 | 149,204 | 287,280 | 5.4% |
| 70–74 | 114,250 | 124,320 | 238,570 | 4.5% |
| 75–79 | 92,811 | 102,536 | 195,347 | 3.7% |
| 80–84 | 57,343 | 67,828 | 125,171 | 2.4% |
| 85–89 | 30,297 | 41,051 | 71,348 | 1.3% |
| 90–94 | 10,842 | 16,910 | 27,752 | 0.5% |
| 95–99 | 2,599 | 4,949 | 7,548 | 0.1% |
| 100+ | 260 | 632 | 892 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to New Zealand’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Australia98% overlap · median age 38.5
- United States98% overlap · median age 38.7
- Gibraltar97% overlap · median age 38.8
- Norway97% overlap · median age 40.1
- United Kingdom97% overlap · median age 40.2
- Faroe Islands97% overlap · median age 37.1
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for New Zealand.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). New Zealand Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/new-zealand/
MLA
“New Zealand Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/new-zealand/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “New Zealand Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/new-zealand/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of New Zealand in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, New Zealand's population in 2026 is projected at 5,287,479.
What is the median age in New Zealand?
The projected median age in New Zealand in 2026 is 38.0 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in New Zealand?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.64 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is New Zealand's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 9%, from 5.3M to 5.8M.
What share of New Zealand is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 18.0% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 24.0%.
How many babies are born in New Zealand each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 57,999 births and 39,926 deaths in 2026, about 159 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 18,073.
What is life expectancy in New Zealand for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 84.1 years for women and 80.9 years for men, a gap of 3.2 years in favour of women.
Does New Zealand have more immigrants or emigrants?
New Zealand is projected to gain about 16,435 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +682,170.
What is the sex ratio in New Zealand?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 98.9 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.