Life expectancy at birth in New Zealand

New Zealand: Life expectancy at birth was 82.2 in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
82.2
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
11th
of 184 countries
All-time high
82.5
in 2020
All-time low
78.47
in 2001
Years of data
22
2000–2021

Life expectancy at birth in New Zealand, 2000–2021

0204060802000201020212000: 78.62001: 78.52002: 78.72003: 79.12004: 79.22005: 79.92006: 79.92007: 802008: 80.32009: 80.62010: 80.92011: 80.72012: 81.12013: 81.42014: 81.22015: 81.32016: 81.72017: 81.22018: 81.82019: 81.82020: 82.52021: 82.2

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth in New Zealand is 82.2, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in New Zealand peaked at 82.5 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 78.47, in 2001.

New Zealand ranks 11th of 184 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Life expectancy at birth in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Life expectancy at birth (years) in New Zealand, 2000 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2000 78.58
2001 78.47 -0.1%
2002 78.66 +0.2%
2003 79.06 +0.5%
2004 79.15 +0.1%
2005 79.94 +1.0%
2006 79.89 -0.1%
2007 80.04 +0.2%
2008 80.31 +0.3%
2009 80.56 +0.3%
2010 80.94 +0.5%
2011 80.75 -0.2%
2012 81.09 +0.4%
2013 81.36 +0.3%
2014 81.19 -0.2%
2015 81.31 +0.1%
2016 81.73 +0.5%
2017 81.16 -0.7%
2018 81.76 +0.7%
2019 81.81 +0.1%
2020 82.5 +0.8%
2021 82.2 -0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 79.46 78.47 80.56 10
2010s 81.31 80.75 81.81 10
2020s 82.35 82.2 82.5 2

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 8 Sweden 82.66 compare
  2. 9 Spain 82.66 compare
  3. 10 Iceland 82.58 compare
  4. 12 Italy 82.2 compare
  5. 13 France 81.92 compare
  6. 14 Cyprus 81.91 compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More health data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy at birth in New Zealand?
Life expectancy at birth in New Zealand was 82.2 in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 82.5 in 2020.
What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 78.47 in 2001.
How does New Zealand rank for life expectancy at birth?
New Zealand ranks 11th out of 184 countries with data for 2021.
Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Life expectancy at birth (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Life expectancy at birth in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/life-expectancy-at-birth-years/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Life expectancy at birth (years)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
196 places, 4,312 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed