Life expectancy at birth in New Zealand
New Zealand: Life expectancy at birth was 82.09 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
82.09 years
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
36th
of 236 countries
All-time high
82.66 years
in 2020
All-time low
69.13 years
in 1951
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy at birth in New Zealand, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy at birth in New Zealand stood at 82.09 years.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in New Zealand peaked at 82.66 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 69.13 years, in 1951.
New Zealand ranks 36th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 69.25 years | — |
| 1951 | 69.13 years | -0.2% |
| 1952 | 69.38 years | +0.4% |
| 1953 | 70.21 years | +1.2% |
| 1954 | 70.33 years | +0.2% |
| 1955 | 70.48 years | +0.2% |
| 1956 | 70.72 years | +0.3% |
| 1957 | 70.25 years | -0.7% |
| 1958 | 70.88 years | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 70.77 years | -0.1% |
| 1960 | 71.22 years | +0.6% |
| 1961 | 70.93 years | -0.4% |
| 1962 | 71.2 years | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 71.27 years | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 71.3 years | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 71.22 years | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 71.07 years | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 71.44 years | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 71.09 years | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 71.47 years | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 71.22 years | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 71.72 years | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 71.82 years | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 71.67 years | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 71.94 years | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 72.2 years | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 72.4 years | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 72.14 years | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 73.01 years | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 73.05 years | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 72.86 years | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 73.63 years | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 73.72 years | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 73.83 years | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 74.37 years | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 73.88 years | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 74.12 years | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 74.21 years | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 74.48 years | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 74.89 years | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 75.42 years | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 76.08 years | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 76.19 years | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 76.5 years | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 76.92 years | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 76.78 years | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 76.81 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 77.34 years | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 78.17 years | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 77.91 years | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 78.67 years | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 78.66 years | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 78.87 years | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 79.14 years | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 79.36 years | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 80.03 years | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 80.02 years | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 80.12 years | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 80.25 years | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 80.55 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 81.05 years | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 80.84 years | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 81.17 years | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 81.61 years | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 81.41 years | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 81.59 years | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 82 years | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 81.61 years | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 81.88 years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 81.83 years | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 82.66 years | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 82.3 years | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 81.01 years | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 82.09 years | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 70.14 years | 69.13 years | 70.88 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 71.22 years | 70.93 years | 71.47 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 72.12 years | 71.22 years | 73.05 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 74 years | 72.86 years | 74.89 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.81 years | 75.42 years | 78.17 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 79.57 years | 78.66 years | 80.55 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.5 years | 80.84 years | 82 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.01 years | 81.01 years | 82.66 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 33 Luxembourg 82.23 years compare
- 34 Netherlands 82.16 years compare
- 35 Belgium 82.11 years compare
- 37 Guadeloupe 82.05 years compare
- 38 Austria 81.96 years compare
- 39 Denmark 81.93 years compare
More health data for New Zealand
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.94 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.4815 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,116 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 33 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 2.46 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0256 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 2.49 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.023 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in New Zealand?
- Life expectancy at birth in New Zealand was 82.09 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 82.66 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.13 years in 1951.
- How does New Zealand rank for life expectancy at birth?
- New Zealand ranks 36th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy at birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.