New Zealand Quick answerNew Zealand is a country in Australia and New Zealand, with a population of 5,324,700 (2025). Its capital is Wellington, its official language is English and Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, and its currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD). It covers 268,838 square kilometres (103,799 square miles), and its time zone is Pacific/Auckland.
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean, home to about 5.3 million people. Its capital is Wellington, its largest city is Auckland, and its official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
Key facts
| Capital | Wellington |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,324,700 (2025) · 5.3 million |
| Population density | 19.9 people per km² (land area) |
| Area | 268,838 km² (103,799 sq mi) total · 267,710 km² (103,363 sq mi) land |
| Official languages | English (official), Māori (official), New Zealand Sign Language (official) |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD, $) |
| Time zones | Pacific/Auckland, Pacific/Chatham |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Coastline | 15,134 km |
| Highest point | Aoraki / Mount Cook, 3,724 m |
| Life expectancy | 82 years (2024) |
| Calling code | +64 |
| Driving side | Left |
| Internet domain | .nz |
Overview
New Zealand — Aotearoa in Māori — is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean, about 2,000 kilometres east of Australia across the Tasman Sea. It is made up of two main islands, the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu), plus more than 700 smaller islands, and it stretches over 1,600 kilometres from north to south. The country covers 268,838 square kilometres, and its coastline runs for about 15,134 kilometres. The Southern Alps run down the South Island, rising to Aoraki / Mount Cook at 3,724 metres, while the North Island is marked by volcanoes, lakes and geothermal fields around Rotorua and Taupō.
About 5.3 million people lived in New Zealand in 2025, according to the World Bank, and about 84 per cent of them live in towns and cities. More than three-quarters live on the North Island, where Auckland, the largest city, holds about 1.55 million people in its urban area. Wellington, the capital, sits at the southern tip of the North Island. English is the dominant language, alongside Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, the country's three official languages. Life expectancy at birth was 82.0 years in 2024. Most New Zealanders are of European descent; Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asian and Pacific peoples.
New Zealand is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy, with the monarch as head of state and a prime minister heading the government. Māori settled the islands between about 1280 and 1350, and the Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, paved the way for British sovereignty. New Zealand became a dominion in 1907 and gained full statutory independence in 1947. It was the first country in the world to give women the vote, in 1893. Its economy, worth about $273 billion in 2026, is built on services, agriculture — especially dairy — and tourism. New Zealand has three UNESCO World Heritage sites: Tongariro National Park, Te Wahipounamu in the south-west of the South Island, and the Subantarctic Islands.
Notable facts
- New Zealand had a population of 5,324,700 in 2025, according to the World Bank — about 5.3 million people spread across two main islands and more than 700 smaller ones.
- Aoraki / Mount Cook, in the Southern Alps of the South Island, is the highest point in New Zealand at 3,724 metres.
- New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote, in 1893.
- Wellington is the world's southernmost capital of a sovereign state — and, by average wind speed, its windiest city.
- New Zealand has three official languages: English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
How New Zealand compares
Comparison table — New Zealand next to 3 similar countries (neighbours first, then the same subregion).
| Country | Population | Area | Density | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand ★ | 5,324,700 (2025) | 268,838 km² | 19.9 people per km² | Wellington |
| Australia | 27,801,023 (2025) | 7,692,024 km² | 3.6 people per km² | Canberra |
| Brazil | 213,421,037 (2025) | 8,515,767 km² | 25.2 people per km² | Brasília |
| Canada | 41,798,407 (2026) | 9,984,670 km² | 4.6 people per km² | Ottawa |
Cities in New Zealand
See all 4 cities in New Zealand →
- Auckland 1,547,200 people (2025) Known for Sky Tower
- Christchurch 407,800 people (2025) Known for Garden City
- Wellington 209,800 people (2025) · Capital Known for Te Papa museum
- Dunedin 104,000 people (2025) Known for University of Otago
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of New Zealand?
The capital of New Zealand is Wellington. It sits at the southern tip of the North Island, on Cook Strait, and has been the capital since 1865. Wellington is the world's southernmost capital of a sovereign state and is home to New Zealand's Parliament, the Supreme Court and most government departments.
What is the population of New Zealand?
New Zealand had a population of 5,324,700 in 2025, according to the World Bank. More than three-quarters of New Zealanders live on the North Island. Auckland is by far the largest city, with about 1.55 million people in its urban area, followed by Christchurch and the capital, Wellington.
What language is spoken in New Zealand?
New Zealand has three official languages: English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. English is the dominant language and is spoken by almost everyone. Māori, the language of the indigenous people, is an official language, and New Zealand Sign Language became an official language in 2006.
What currency is used in New Zealand?
New Zealand uses the New Zealand dollar (NZD, symbol $). The dollar was introduced in 1967, replacing the New Zealand pound. New Zealand dollars are also used in the Cook Islands and Niue, which are in free association with New Zealand, and in Tokelau and the Ross Dependency.
Where is New Zealand?
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean, about 2,000 kilometres east of Australia. It is made up of two main islands — the North Island and the South Island — and more than 700 smaller islands. Australia lies to the west, and Tonga, Fiji and New Caledonia to the north.
What time zone is New Zealand in?
Most of New Zealand uses New Zealand Standard Time (NZST, UTC+12) in winter and New Zealand Daylight Time (NZDT, UTC+13) in summer, from the last Sunday in September to the first Sunday in April. The Chatham Islands, 45 minutes ahead of the mainland, have their own time zone. The IANA time zone names are Pacific/Auckland and Pacific/Chatham.
Quick quiz
Three questions from the facts on this page. No sign-up, no score is saved.
Keep exploring
- Auckland — city in New Zealand
- Christchurch — city in New Zealand
- Wellington — capital of New Zealand
- Dunedin — city in New Zealand
- Ernest Rutherford — New Zealander science figure
- Australia — another country in Australia and New Zealand
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — New Zealand
- World Bank, World Development Indicators
- mledoze/countries (skeleton: area, borders, capital, languages, currency, demonym, calling code, landlocked, coordinates, region, tld)
- Wikipedia — List of countries by length of coastline
- Wikipedia — List of World Heritage Sites in New Zealand
- Destatis — Statistical Country Profile New Zealand, edition 05/2026 (World Bank WDI)
- Statistics New Zealand, via Wikipedia — New Zealand (city populations, June 2025)
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.