History of New Zealand in Timeline

New Zealand is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It comprises two main islands, the North and South Islands, and over 600 smaller islands. Situated east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, its landscape features varied topography and prominent mountain ranges like 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 become the accepted norm

By 1907, the use of "North" and "South" on maps to distinguish the two largest islands of New Zealand had become the accepted norm.

1907: New Zealand becomes a dominion

In 1907, New Zealand became a dominion, which reflected its self-governing status within the British Empire.

1908: Participation at the Summer Olympics

New Zealand participated at the Summer Olympics in 1908 as a joint team with Australia.

1912: Participation at the Summer Olympics

New Zealand participated at the Summer Olympics in 1912 as a joint team with Australia.

1920: First participation at the Summer Olympics on its own

New Zealand first participated at the Summer Olympics on its own in 1920.

1921: 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

Public radio was introduced in New Zealand in 1922.

1923: Imperial Conference

The 1923 Imperial Conference decided that New Zealand should be allowed to negotiate its own political treaties.

1926: Imperial Conference

The 1926 Imperial Conference reaffirmed that New Zealand should be allowed to negotiate its own political treaties.

1928: First Commercial Treaty

In 1928, New Zealand's first commercial treaty was ratified with Japan.

1937: Kermadec Islands become uninhabited

Since 1937, the Kermadec Islands have been uninhabited, except for 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

The New Zealand recording industry began to develop from 1940 onwards.

1947: New Zealand adopts the 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.

1947: New Zealand gains full statutory independence

In 1947, New Zealand gained full statutory independence, retaining the monarch as head of state.

1950: Legislative Council Abolished

In 1950, New Zealand's Legislative council which served as an upper house 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

A state-owned television service began in New Zealand in 1960.

1961: Ethnic Identification Statistics

In 1961, the census reported that the population of New Zealand was 92% European and 7% Māori, with Asian and Pacific minorities sharing the remaining 1%.

1965: The New Zealand Music Awards were first held

The New Zealand Music Awards were first held in 1965 by Reckitt & Colman as the Loxene Golden Disc awards.

1970: Samoan Quota Scheme

In 1970, the Samoan Quota Scheme was established, regulating permanent migration and allowing up to 1,100 Samoan nationals to become permanent New Zealand residents each year.

1973: Export market reduced

In 1973, New Zealand's export market was reduced when the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community which led to an economic depression.

1975: Waitangi Tribunal set up

In 1975, a Waitangi Tribunal was set up to investigate alleged breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.

1975: 249 Municipalities

In 1975, there were 249 municipalities in New Zealand.

1978: New Zealand Film Commission started assisting local film-makers

In 1978 the New Zealand Film Commission started assisting local film-makers.

1979: Energy crisis

The 1979 energy crisis further contributed to a severe economic depression in New Zealand.

1982: UNCLOS and New Zealand's 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 successive governments engaged in 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 government's 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.

1987: Māori language declared an official language

In 1987, the Māori language was declared one of New Zealand's official languages.

1987: Telecom New Zealand formed

The New Zealand Post Office had a monopoly over telecommunications in New Zealand until 1987 when Telecom New Zealand was formed, initially as a state-owned enterprise.

1989: Local government reorganised

In 1989, the government reorganised local government in New Zealand into the current two-tier structure of regional councils and territorial authorities.

1990: Dairy farming increased

Between 1990 and 2007, the number of dairy cows doubled.

1990: Telecom New Zealand privatised

In 1990, Telecom New Zealand was privatised.

1991: Unemployment peaked

In 1991, unemployment peaked just above 10%.

1992: Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) formed

Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) were formed in 1992 from existing government-owned research organisations.

1992: Unemployment peaked

In 1992, unemployment remained high, peaking just above 10%.

1993: End of first-past-the-post voting system

Almost all general elections between 1853 and 1993 were held under the first-past-the-post voting system in New Zealand.

1993: Railways privatised

In 1993, the railways were privatised.

1994: Freedom House rankings

Since 1994, Freedom House has consistently ranked New Zealand's press freedom in the top twenty.

1995: Sailing success in the America's Cup regatta

New Zealand has seen regular sailing success in the America's Cup regatta since 1995.

1996: Mixed-member proportional voting system introduced

Since the 1996 election, a form of proportional representation called mixed-member proportional (MMP) has been used in New Zealand.

1997: Forest cover at 23% of land

In 1997, forest occupied only 23% of the land in New Zealand.

2000: Growth of fashion industry

The local fashion industry in New Zealand has grown significantly since 2000.

2001: Exhibitions in the Venice Biennale

New Zealand art and craft has gradually achieved an international audience, with exhibitions in the Venice Biennale in 2001.

2002: Number of international students

In 2002, more than 20,000 international students studied in public tertiary institutions.

2002: Pacific Access Category

In 2002, the Pacific Access Category was established, allowing up to 750 Pacific Islanders to become permanent New Zealand residents each year.

2003: Abolishment of appeals to British courts

In 2003, final rights of appeal to British courts were abolished in New Zealand.

2004: "Paradise Now" exhibition in New York

New Zealand art and craft has gradually achieved an international audience, with the "Paradise Now" exhibition in New York in 2004.

2004: Railways re-nationalised

The railways were re-nationalised by the government in stages between 2004 and 2008.

2006: Discovery of mouse-sized land mammal bones

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 an official language

New Zealand Sign Language became one of New Zealand's official languages in 2006.

2007: Seasonal workers scheme introduced

In 2007, a seasonal workers scheme for temporary migration was introduced.

2007: Wine overtakes wool exports

In 2007, the number of vineyards doubling over the same period as dairy farming, overtaking wool exports for the first time.

2007: Unemployment rate

In 2007, the unemployment rate eventually fell to 3.7%.

April 2008: New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement

On April 7, 2008, New Zealand and China signed the New Zealand–China Free Trade Agreement, the first such agreement China had signed with a developed country.

2008: Railways re-nationalised

The railways were re-nationalised by the government in stages between 2004 and 2008.

2009: Ultra-Fast Broadband rollout began

In 2009, a large-scale rollout of gigabit-capable fibre to the premises, branded as Ultra-Fast Broadband, began with a target of being available to 87% of the population by 2022.

2009: 8,000 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 were never formalised

In 2009, the New Zealand Geographic Board discovered that the names of the North Island and South Island had never been formalised.

2009: Annual target of permanent residence approvals

In 2009, the New Zealand Immigration Service set an annual target of 45,000–50,000 permanent residence approvals.

2009: Unemployment rises to 7%

In late 2009, the global financial crisis had a major effect on New Zealand and unemployment rose back to 7%.

2011: Chorus split from Telecom

Chorus, which was split from Telecom (now Spark) in 2011, still owns the majority of the telecommunications infrastructure.

2012: Partnership Interoperability Initiative 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 there were about 650,000 New Zealand citizens living in Australia, which is equivalent to 15% of the population of New Zealand.

2013: Formalization of island names

In 2013, the names and alternative names of the North and South Islands were formalized as North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui, and South Island or Te Waipounamu.

2013: Percentage of people not born in New Zealand

In the 2013 census, 25.2% of people counted were not born in New Zealand.

2014: Food products as 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: Freedom of press ranking

As of 2015, New Zealand had the 19th freest media.

2015: Renewable energy

In 2015, renewable energy generated 40.1% of New Zealand's gross energy supply.

2015: Total gross expenditure on R&D

In 2015, the total gross expenditure on research and development (R&D) as a proportion of GDP rose to 1.23%.

2015: Gold Production

New Zealand's gold production in 2015 was 12 tonnes.

2016: Auckland ranked the world's third most liveable city

In 2016, Auckland was ranked the world's third most liveable city and Wellington the twelfth by the Mercer Quality of Living Survey.

2016: Leading cause of death was cancer

In 2016, the leading cause of death in New Zealand was cancer at 30.3%, followed by ischaemic heart disease (14.9%) and cerebrovascular disease (7.4%). Also, as of 2016, total expenditure on health care (including private sector spending) was 9.2% of GDP.

2016: Tourism Contribution to GDP

In 2016, tourism contributed $12.9 billion (or 5.6%) to New Zealand's total GDP and supported 7.5% of the total workforce.

2016: New Zealand Space Agency created

The New Zealand Space Agency was created by the government in 2016 for space policy, regulation and sector development. Rocket Lab was the notable first commercial rocket launcher in the country.

2017: New Zealand ranks 13th

As of 2017, the United Nations International Telecommunication Union ranks 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 human rights report

In 2017, a human rights report by the United States Department of State noted that the New Zealand government generally respected the rights of individuals, but voiced concerns regarding the social status of the Māori population.

2017: 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: Life expectancy

In 2017, life expectancy in New Zealand was 80.0 years for males and 83.5 years for females.

June 2018: Main trading partners

As at June 2018, New Zealand's main trading partners are China (NZ$27.8b), Australia ($26.2b), the European Union ($22.9b), the United States ($17.6b), and Japan ($8.4b).

June 2018: Dairy products as total exports

In the year to June 2018, dairy products accounted for 17.7% ($14.1 billion) of total exports.

2018: Samoan most widely spoken non-official language

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: Religious affiliation statistics

At the 2018 census, 48.2% of the population stated they had no religion and Christians formed 36.5% of the population.

2018: Electorate Data from Census

Based on the 2018 census data, there are 72 electorates including 7 Maori electorates, and the remaining 48 of the 120 seats are assigned so that representation in Parliament reflects the party vote.

2018: Median age of population was 37.4 years

In 2018, the median age of the New Zealand population at the census was 37.4 years.

2018: Total gross expenditure on R&D

In 2018, the total gross expenditure on research and development (R&D) as a proportion of GDP rose to 1.37%.

2018: Percentage of people not born in New Zealand

In the 2018 census, 27.4% of people counted were not born in New Zealand.

2018: New Zealand census

The 2018 New Zealand census.

September 2019: Population exceeded 5 million

In September 2019 Statistics New Zealand reported that the population had climbed above 5 million people.

2019: Low Voter Turnout in Local Council Elections

In 2019, New Zealand saw a low 42% turnout in local council elections.

2019: Life expectancy

In 2019, life expectancy in New Zealand was 80.0 years for males and 83.5 years for females.

June 2020: Annual population increase rate

New Zealand's population increased at a rate of 1.9% per year in the seven years ended June 2020.

September 2020: Population exceeded 5 million

In September 2020 Statistics New Zealand reported that the population had climbed above 5 million people, according to population estimates based on the 2018 census.

2020: Child poverty in ethnic-minority households

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 of 1.6

In 2020, New Zealand's total fertility rate was 1.6.

September 2021: Unemployment rates for different age groups

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

The lowest unemployment rate recorded using the current methodology was in December 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, at 3.2%.

2021: Educational attainment statistics

In 2021, in the population aged 25–64; 13% had no formal qualification, 21% had a school qualification, 28% had a tertiary certificate or diploma, and 35% have a bachelor's degree or higher.

June 2022: Children living in low-income households

As of June 2022, 12.0% of children in New Zealand were living in low-income households with less than 50% of the median equivalised disposable household income.

2022: Ultra-Fast Broadband rollout

In 2009, a large-scale rollout of gigabit-capable fibre to the premises, branded as Ultra-Fast Broadband, began with a target of being available to 87% of the population by 2022.

2022: 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 & Index of Economic Freedom

In 2022, New Zealand was ranked 16th in the Human Development Index, and fourth in the Index of Economic Freedom.

2022: Low voter turnout in local 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, which eliminated tariffs on several goods traded between the two regions.

November 2023: Christopher Luxon becomes Prime Minister

Since 27 November 2023, Christopher Luxon has been the 42nd and current prime minister of New Zealand.

2023: New Zealand ranks highly in governance and democracy

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 statistics

At the 2023 census, 51.6% of the population stated they had no religion.

2023: Ethnic Identification Statistics

In the 2023 census, a total of 67.8% of New Zealand residents identified ethnically as European, with 54.1% identifying as European alone, and 17.8% as Māori, with 7.3% identifying as Māori alone. Other major ethnic groups include Asian (17.3% total, 15.7% alone) and Pacific peoples (8.9%, 5.5% alone).

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 lives 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 is the 4th most peaceful country in the world.

May 2025: Estimated population

As of May 2025, the total population 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 with a rating of 100.

2050: Projected median age

By 2050, the median age in New Zealand is projected to rise to 43 years and the percentage of people 60 years of age and older to rise from 18% to 29%.