Interactive population pyramid for New Zealand
This interactive population pyramid shows New Zealand's changing age-sex distribution over time. It shows our population history and what our future may look like.
Some stories from the pyramid
Early 1940s: numbers of males aged in their twenties affected by service in World War II.
1951: a large proportion of children aged 0–4 years coincides with the first of the baby boomers.
1986: a small proportion of children aged 0–9 years coincides with falling birth numbers in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
2025: the baby boomers are aged roughly 60–79 years.
2060s: a more rectangular pyramid reflects larger numbers and proportions of people at older ages than in earlier years.
The population aged 90 years and over (90+) was about 1,000 during the 1930s. It reached 35,000 in 2024, is expected to exceed 50,000 by the early 2030s, and exceed 150,000 by the 2060s.
Information about the data
Data source: Stats NZ's population estimates and projections data
- 1936–1990 are estimates of the de facto population at 31 December.
- 1991–2023 are estimates of the resident population at 30 June.
- 2024–2073 are projections of the resident population at 30 June.
Estimates
Use Infoshare to find national population estimates (click 'show discontinued', which sits just below the heading 'Subject categories', for estimates before 1991):
Subject category: Population
Group: Population estimates – DPE
Estimates for subnational areas – regional council areas (regions), territorial authority areas, local government areas, urban areas, SA2s – are available from NZ.Stat (choose the 'Population estimates' theme), Infoshare, and subnational population estimates tables.
Projections
All projected data displayed in the pyramid is based on the mid-range (median) projection and alternative percentiles (5th, 25th, 75th, 95th) from the 2022-base national population projections released in July 2022.
Use NZ.Stat to find the national population projections, including measures of uncertainty – choose the 'Population projections' theme.
Projections for subnational areas – regions, territorial authority areas, Auckland local board areas, SA2s – are also available from NZ.Stat.
