History of New Zealand in Timeline
New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, comprising the North and South Islands and over 600 smaller islands. It is located east of Australia and south of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Its landscape features varied topography, sharp mountain peaks, and the Southern Alps, shaped by tectonic activity and volcanic eruptions. Wellington is the capital city, while Auckland is the most populous.
1907: North and South Islands accepted
By 1907, mapmakers' use of "North" and "South" to distinguish the two largest islands became the accepted norm.
1907: New Zealand becomes a dominion
In 1907, New Zealand became a dominion, marking a change in its status within the British Empire.
1908: Participation in Summer Olympics in 1908
New Zealand participated at the Summer Olympics in 1908 as a joint team with Australia.
1912: Participation in Summer Olympics in 1912
New Zealand participated at the Summer Olympics in 1912 as a joint team with Australia.
1920: First Participation in Summer Olympics as Own Team in 1920
New Zealand first participated on its own at the Summer Olympics in 1920.
1921: Location of the country's median centre of population
In 1921, the country's median centre of population was located in the Tasman Sea west of Levin in Manawatū-Whanganui.
1922: Introduction of Public Radio in 1922
Public radio was introduced in New Zealand in 1922.
1923: Imperial Conference decides on political treaties
The 1923 Imperial Conference decided that New Zealand should be allowed to negotiate its own political treaties.
1926: Imperial Conference decides on political treaties
The 1926 Imperial Conference decided that New Zealand should be allowed to negotiate its own political treaties.
1928: First commercial treaty ratified with Japan
In 1928, New Zealand's first commercial treaty was ratified with Japan.
1937: Kermadec Islands mostly uninhabited
Since 1937, the Kermadec Islands are mostly uninhabited, with only about six people at Raoul Island station.
September 1939: New Zealand declares war on Germany
On 3 September 1939, New Zealand allied itself with Britain and declared war on Germany.
1940: Development of the New Zealand Recording Industry from 1940
The New Zealand recording industry began to develop from 1940 onwards.
1947: New Zealand gains full statutory independence
In 1947, New Zealand achieved full statutory independence, retaining the monarch as head of state.
1947: New Zealand adopts Statute of Westminster
In 1947, New Zealand adopted the Statute of Westminster, confirming that the British Parliament could no longer legislate for the country without its consent.
1950: Legislative Council abolished
In 1950, the Legislative Council, the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament, was abolished.
1951: New Zealand joins ANZUS security treaty
In 1951, New Zealand joined Australia and the United States in the ANZUS security treaty.
1960: Start of State-Owned Television Service in 1960
A state-owned television service began in New Zealand in 1960.
1961: Population Demographics in 1961
In 1961, the New Zealand census reported the population was 92% European and 7% Māori, with Asian and Pacific minorities sharing the remaining 1%.
1965: First New Zealand Music Awards Held in 1965
The New Zealand Music Awards were first held in 1965 by Reckitt & Colman as the Loxene Golden Disc awards.
1973: Export market reduction
In 1973, New Zealand's export market was reduced when the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community.
1975: Waitangi Tribunal set up
In 1975, the Waitangi Tribunal was set up to investigate alleged breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.
1975: 249 municipalities existed
In 1975, there were 249 municipalities in New Zealand, prior to the local government reorganization in 1989.
1978: Establishment of New Zealand Film Commission in 1978
In 1978 the New Zealand Film Commission started assisting local film-makers, and many films attained a world audience, some receiving international acknowledgement.
1979: Energy crisis
The 1979 energy crisis contributed to a severe economic depression in New Zealand.
1982: UNCLOS gives islands new economic zone
After the 1982 UNCLOS, the Kermadec Islands contributed significantly to New Zealand's exclusive economic zone.
1982: Lowest per-capita income
By 1982 New Zealand had the lowest per-capita income of all the developed nations surveyed by the World Bank.
1984: Deregulation of agricultural sector
In the mid-1980s, specifically 1984, New Zealand deregulated its agricultural sector by phasing out subsidies over a three-year period, and began major macroeconomic restructuring.
1985: Waitangi Tribunal enabled to investigate historic grievances
In 1985, the Waitangi Tribunal was enabled to investigate historic grievances.
1986: Constitution Act removes British legislative powers
In 1986, the British government's residual legislative powers were removed by the Constitution Act.
1987: Share market crash
Following the 1987 share market crash, unemployment peaked just above 10% in 1991 and 1992.
1987: Māori Language Declared Official Language in 1987
In 1987, the Māori language (te reo Māori) was declared one of New Zealand's official languages.
1987: Formation of Telecom New Zealand
Telecom New Zealand was formed in 1987, ending the New Zealand Post Office's monopoly over telecommunications.
1989: Local government reorganised
In 1989, the New Zealand government reorganized local government into the current two-tier structure of regional councils and territorial authorities.
1990: Increase in dairy farming
Between 1990 and 2007, the number of dairy cows in New Zealand doubled.
1990: Privatisation of Telecom New Zealand
Telecom New Zealand, initially a state-owned enterprise, was privatised in 1990.
1991: Unemployment peak
Unemployment peaked just above 10% in 1991 following the 1987 share market crash.
1992: Formation of Crown Research Institutes (CRIs)
Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) were formed in 1992 from existing government-owned research organizations.
1992: Unemployment peak
Unemployment peaked just above 10% in 1992 following the 1987 share market crash.
1993: General elections use first-past-the-post voting system
Almost all general elections between 1853 and 1993 in New Zealand were held under the first-past-the-post voting system.
1993: Privatisation of railways
New Zealand's railways were privatised in 1993.
1994: Press Freedom Ranking Since 1994
Since 1994, Freedom House has consistently ranked New Zealand's press freedom in the top twenty.
1995: New Zealand's Success in the America's Cup Regatta Since 1995
New Zealand has seen regular sailing success in the America's Cup regatta since 1995.
1996: Mixed-member proportional voting system used
Since the 1996 election, New Zealand has used a form of proportional representation called mixed-member proportional (MMP).
1997: Forest occupies only 23% of land
By 1997, forests occupied only 23% of the land in New Zealand due to deforestation.
2000: Growth of the Local Fashion Industry Since 2000
The local fashion industry in New Zealand has grown significantly since 2000, doubling exports and increasing from a handful to about 50 established labels.
2001: Venice Biennale Exhibition in 2001
New Zealand art and craft was showcased at the Venice Biennale in 2001.
2002: Increase in International Students in 2002
In 2002, over 20,000 international students were studying in public tertiary institutions, marking a sharp increase since the late 1990s.
2002: Pacific Access Category
The 2002 Pacific Access Category was created.
2003: Final rights of appeal to British courts abolished
In 2003, final rights of appeal to British courts were abolished.
2004: "Paradise Now" Exhibition in New York in 2004
New Zealand art and craft was exhibited in the "Paradise Now" exhibition in New York in 2004.
2004: Re-nationalisation of railways
The New Zealand government began re-nationalising the railways in stages starting in 2004.
2006: Bones from unique land mammal discovered
In 2006, bones from a unique, mouse-sized land mammal at least 16 million years old were discovered in New Zealand.
2006: New Zealand Sign Language Became Official Language in 2006
New Zealand Sign Language became one of New Zealand's official languages in 2006.
2007: Seasonal workers scheme for temporary migration introduced
A seasonal workers scheme for temporary migration was introduced in 2007.
2007: Unemployment rate ranking
In 2007, the unemployment rate in New Zealand fell to 3.7%, ranking third from twenty-seven comparable OECD nations.
2007: Wine overtakes wool
New Zealand's wine industry overtook wool exports for the first time in 2007.
April 2008: New Zealand–China Free Trade Agreement
On 7 April 2008, New Zealand and China signed the New Zealand–China Free Trade Agreement.
2008: Financial crisis
The 2008 financial crisis significantly impacted New Zealand, causing the GDP to shrink for five consecutive quarters.
2008: Re-nationalisation of railways completed
The New Zealand government completed the re-nationalisation of the railways in 2008.
2009: Ultra-Fast Broadband rollout
A large-scale rollout of gigabit-capable fibre to the premises, branded as Ultra-Fast Broadband, began in 2009.
2009: Pacific Islanders employed under seasonal workers scheme
In 2009, about 8,000 Pacific Islanders were employed under the seasonal workers scheme.
2009: New Zealand Geographic Board discovers island names unformalised
In 2009, the New Zealand Geographic Board discovered that the names of the North Island and South Island had never been formalised.
2009: Immigration Target Set (2009-2010)
In 2009–10, an annual target of 45,000–50,000 permanent residence approvals was set by the New Zealand Immigration Service.
2009: Unemployment increase
In late 2009, as a result of the 2008 financial crisis, unemployment in New Zealand rose back to 7%.
2011: Chorus split from Telecom
Chorus was split from Telecom (now Spark) in 2011.
2012: Partnership arrangement with NATO
In 2012, New Zealand established a partnership arrangement with NATO under the Partnership Interoperability Initiative.
2013: New Zealand citizens living in Australia
In 2013, about 650,000 New Zealand citizens were living in Australia.
2013: Names of North and South Islands formalised
In 2013, the names of the North Island and South Island were formalized as North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui, and South Island or Te Waipounamu.
2013: Overseas-Born Population in 2013
In the 2013 census, 25.2% of people counted were not born in New Zealand, rising to 27.4% in 2018.
2014: Composition of exports
In 2014, food products made up 55% of the value of all the country's exports, with wood being the second largest earner at 7%.
2015: New Zealand's Press Freedom Ranking in 2015
As of 2015, Freedom House ranked New Zealand's media as the 19th freest in the world.
2015: Renewable energy generation
In 2015, renewable energy generated 40.1% of New Zealand's gross energy supply.
2015: R&D expenditure
In 2015, the total gross expenditure on research and development (R&D) as a proportion of GDP was 1.23%.
2016: Leading cause of death and total expenditure on health care
In 2016 the leading cause of death was cancer at 30.3%, followed by ischaemic heart disease (14.9%) and cerebrovascular disease (7.4%). As of 2016, total expenditure on health care (including private sector spending) is 9.2% of GDP.
2016: City rankings in Mercer Quality of Living Survey
In 2016, Auckland was ranked the world's third most liveable city and Wellington the twelfth by the Mercer Quality of Living Survey.
2016: Contribution of tourism to GDP
In 2016, tourism contributed $12.9 billion (5.6%) to New Zealand's total GDP and supported 7.5% of the total workforce.
2016: Creation of New Zealand Space Agency
The New Zealand Space Agency was created by the government in 2016 for space policy, regulation, and sector development.
2017: UN Telecommunication ranking
As of 2017, the United Nations International Telecommunication Union ranked New Zealand 13th in the development of information and communications infrastructure.
2017: Median centre of population
By 2017, the country's median centre of population had moved 280 km (170 mi) north to near Kawhia in Waikato.
2017: US Department of State notes rights concerns
In 2017, a human rights report by the United States Department of State voiced concerns regarding the social status of the Māori population in New Zealand.
2017: Expected increase in international visitor arrivals
In 2017, international visitor arrivals were expected to increase at a rate of 5.4% annually up to 2022.
2017: Other exports
In 2017–18 other exports were meat (8.8%), wood and wood products (6.2%), fruit (3.6%), machinery (2.2%) and wine (2.1%).
June 2018: Dairy products as a percentage of total exports
In the year to June 2018, dairy products accounted for 17.7% ($14.1 billion) of total exports.
2018: Most Widely Spoken Non-Official Language in 2018
As recorded in the 2018 census, Samoan is the most widely spoken non-official language (2.2%), followed by Northern Chinese (including Mandarin, 2.0%), Hindi (1.5%), and French (1.2%).
2018: Census data informs electorate numbers
Based on the 2018 census data, there are 72 electorates, including seven Māori electorates, and 48 seats assigned to reflect the party vote.
2018: Increase in R&D expenditure
In 2018, the total gross expenditure on research and development (R&D) as a proportion of GDP rose to 1.37%.
2018: 2018 Census Data on Overseas-Born Population
In the 2018 census, 27.4% of people counted were not born in New Zealand, up from 25.2% in the 2013 census.
2018: Religious Affiliation in 2018 Census
In the 2018 census, 48.2% of the population stated they had no religion, and Christians formed 36.5% of the population.
2018: Median age of the New Zealand population
The median age of the New Zealand population at the 2018 census was 37.4 years.
September 2019: Population above 5 million
In September 2019, Statistics New Zealand reported that the population had climbed above 5 million people, according to population estimates based on the 2018 census.
2019: Low turnout in local council elections
42% turnout in the 2019 local elections.
2019: Life expectancy
Life expectancy in 2017–2019 being 80.0 years for males and 83.5 years for females.
June 2020: Annual population increase
New Zealand's population increased at a rate of 1.9% per year in the seven years ended June 2020.
September 2020: Population above 5 million
In September 2020 Statistics New Zealand reported that the population had climbed above 5 million people in September 2019, according to population estimates based on the 2018 census.
2020: Poverty rates for Māori and Pacific Islander children
As of 2020, a quarter (23.3%) of Māori children and almost a third (28.6%) of Pacific Islander children were living in poverty.
2020: Total fertility rate
In 2020, New Zealand had a total fertility rate of 1.6.
September 2021: Unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 24
During the September 2021 quarter, the general unemployment rate was around 3.2%, while the unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 24 was 9.2%.
December 2021: Lowest unemployment rate recorded
In December 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealand recorded its lowest unemployment rate at 3.2%.
2021: Educational Qualifications in 2021
In 2021, 13% of the population aged 25–64 had no formal qualification, 21% had a school qualification, 28% had a tertiary certificate or diploma, and 35% had a bachelor's degree or higher.
June 2022: Children in low-income households
As of June 2022, 12.0% of children in New Zealand were living in low-income households, defined as having less than 50% of the median equivalised disposable household income.
2022: Ultra-Fast Broadband target
A large-scale rollout of gigabit-capable fibre to the premises, branded as Ultra-Fast Broadband, began in 2009 with a target of being available to 87% of the population by 2022.
2022: Expected increase in international visitor arrivals
In 2017, international visitor arrivals were expected to increase at a rate of 5.4% annually up to 2022.
2022: Human Development Index and Economic Freedom Index rankings
In 2022, New Zealand was ranked 16th in the Human Development Index and fourth in the Index of Economic Freedom.
2022: Low turnout in local council elections
In 2022, a historically low 36% of eligible New Zealanders voted in the local elections.
July 2023: EU–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement
In July 2023, New Zealand and the European Union entered into the EU–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, eliminating tariffs on several goods.
November 2023: Christopher Luxon becomes Prime Minister
Since 27 November 2023, Christopher Luxon is the 42nd and current prime minister of New Zealand.
2023: GDP per capita
As of 2023, New Zealand had a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of $48,071 United States dollars.
2023: New Zealand ranks highly in governance
As of 2023, New Zealand is ranked second in the strength of its democratic institutions, and third in government transparency and lack of corruption.
2023: Religious Affiliation in 2023 Census
In the 2023 census, 51.6% of the population stated they had no religion, up from 48.2% in 2018. Christians form 32.3% of the population in 2023.
2023: 2023 Census Ethnicity Data
In the 2023 census, 62.1% of residents identified as New Zealand European, 17.8% as Māori, and other ethnicities like Chinese, Indian, and Samoan also represented significant portions of the population. Multiple ethnicities were reported by 13.2% of respondents in 2023.
2023: New Zealand Census
The 2023 New Zealand census enumerated a resident population of 4,993,923, an increase of 6.3% over the 2018 census figure.
June 2024: Population distribution
As of June 2024, around 76.5% of New Zealand's population lived in the North Island and 23.5% in the South Island.
2024: Global Peace Index ranking
According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, New Zealand was ranked as the 4th most peaceful country in the world.
September 2025: Estimated total population
As of September 2025, the total population of New Zealand has risen to an estimated 5,231,143.
2025: ICC Men's Test Team Rankings in 2025
New Zealand is ranked 5th in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings 2025 with a rating of 100.
2050: Projected median age
By 2050, the median age is projected to rise to 43 years and the percentage of people 60 years of age and older to rise from 18% to 29%.
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