History of New Zealand in Timeline

New Zealand is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, comprising the North and South Islands and over 600 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country, situated east of Australia. Known for its diverse topography, including the Southern Alps, the landscape is shaped by tectonic activity and volcanic eruptions. Wellington is the capital city, while Auckland is the most populous.

1907: North and South Islands accepted norm on maps

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

1907: New Zealand becomes a dominion

In 1907, New Zealand became a dominion within the British Empire.

1908: New Zealand Participated at the Summer Olympics

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

1912: New Zealand Participated at the Summer Olympics

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

1920: New Zealand Participated at the Summer Olympics

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

1921: Median Centre of Population Location

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, marking the beginning of state-owned broadcasting.

1923: Imperial Conferences decide New Zealand can negotiate its own political treaties

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

1926: Imperial Conferences decide New Zealand can negotiate its own political treaties

The 1926 Imperial Conferences 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: Raoul Island station established.

Since 1937, the Kermadec Islands are 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, contributing to the growth of local music.

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.

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, the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament, the Legislative Council, 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: State-owned television service begins

A state-owned television service began in New Zealand in 1960, expanding media options for the public.

1961: Census reported population

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: Inaugural New Zealand Music Awards

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

1970: Samoan Quota Scheme Established

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 Reduction Due to UK Joining EEC

In 1973, New Zealand's export market was reduced when the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community, contributing to a severe economic depression.

1975: 249 municipalities existed

In 1975, 249 municipalities existed in New Zealand. These have since been consolidated.

1975: Waitangi Tribunal set up

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

1978: New Zealand Film Commission established

In 1978 the New Zealand Film Commission started assisting local film-makers, which led to many films attaining a world audience, some receiving international acknowledgement.

1979: Energy Crisis Impact

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

1982: UNCLOS impacts New Zealand's exclusive economic zone

After the 1982 UNCLOS, the Kermadec Islands contributed significantly to New Zealand's exclusive economic zone.

1982: Lowest Per-Capita Income Among Developed Nations

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 Begins

In the mid-1980s, specifically 1984, New Zealand began to deregulate its agricultural sector by phasing out subsidies over a three-year period.

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 residual legislative powers

In 1986, the British government's residual legislative powers were removed by the Constitution Act.

1987: Share Market Crash

In 1987 New Zealand had a share market crash.

1987: Telecom New Zealand Formed

In 1987, Telecom New Zealand was formed, initially as a state-owned enterprise.

1987: Māori language declared official language

In 1987, the Māori language (te reo Māori) was declared one of New Zealand's official languages, marking a significant step in its revitalisation.

1989: Reorganization of local government

In 1989, the government reorganized local government into the current two-tier structure of regional councils and territorial authorities.

1990: Dairy Cow Population Increase

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

1990: Telecom New Zealand Privatised

In 1990, Telecom New Zealand was privatised.

1991: Unemployment Peaks

In 1991, unemployment in New Zealand peaked just above 10%.

1992: Crown Research Institutes Formed

In 1992, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) were formed from existing government-owned research organizations.

1992: Unemployment Peaks

In 1992, unemployment in New Zealand remained 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.

1993: Railways Privatised

In 1993, New Zealand's railways were privatised.

1994: Press freedom ranking

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, marking a significant achievement in the country's sporting history.

1996: Mixed-member proportional (MMP) 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 occupies 23% of the land

By 1997, forest occupied only 23% of the land in New Zealand due to deforestation.

2000: Growth of local fashion industry

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: Exhibitions in the Venice Biennale

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

2002: Pacific Access Category Introduced

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

2002: Increase in international students

In 2002, there were more than 20,000 fee-paying international students studying in public tertiary institutions.

2003: Final rights of appeal to British courts abolished

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

2004: Railways Re-Nationalised

Between 2004 and 2008, the government re-nationalised New Zealand's railways in stages.

2004: "Paradise Now" exhibition in New York

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

2006: New Zealand Sign Language becomes official language

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

2006: Discovery of bones from unique mouse-sized land mammal

In 2006, bones from a unique, mouse-sized land mammal at least 16 million years old were discovered, providing the first sign of native land mammals in New Zealand.

2007: Seasonal Workers Scheme Introduced

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

2007: Wine Exports Overtake Wool

In 2007, New Zealand's wine exports overtook wool exports for the first time.

2007: Unemployment Rate

In 2007, unemployment in New Zealand fell to 3.7%.

April 2008: New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement Signed

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

2008: Railways Re-Nationalised

Between 2004 and 2008, the government re-nationalised New Zealand's railways in stages.

2009: Ultra-Fast Broadband Rollout Begins

In 2009, a large-scale rollout of gigabit-capable fibre to the premises, branded as Ultra-Fast Broadband, began in New Zealand.

2009: Pacific Islanders Employed Under Seasonal Workers Scheme

In 2009, approximately 8,000 Pacific Islanders were employed under the seasonal workers scheme in New Zealand.

2009: New Zealand Geographic Board discovered names of North and South Island had never been formalized.

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

2009: Annual target for permanent residence approvals

In 2009–10, the New Zealand Immigration Service set an annual target of 45,000–50,000 permanent residence approvals.

2009: Unemployment Rises Due to Global Financial Crisis

In late 2009, unemployment in New Zealand rose back to 7% due to the global financial crisis.

2011: Chorus Split from Telecom

In 2011, Chorus was split from Telecom (now Spark).

2012: Partnership Arrangement with NATO

Since 2012, New Zealand has had a partnership arrangement with NATO under the Partnership Interoperability Initiative.

2013: Formalization of North Island and South Island names.

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

2013: Number of 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: 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 Largest Export

In 2014, food products made up 55% of the value of all of New Zealand's exports.

2015: Media freedom ranking

As of 2015, Freedom House ranked New Zealand's press freedom as the 19th freest media.

2015: New Zealand's Gold Production

In 2015, New Zealand's gold production reached 12 tonnes.

2015: Renewable Energy Generation

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

2015: R&D Expenditure as Proportion of GDP

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

2016: Auckland ranked 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

In 2016, cancer was the leading cause of death in New Zealand at 30.3%, followed by ischaemic heart disease (14.9%) and cerebrovascular disease (7.4%).

2016: New Zealand Space Agency Created

In 2016, the New Zealand Space Agency was created by the government for space policy, regulation and sector development.

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.

2017: UN Ranks New Zealand for Information and Communications Infrastructure

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 Shift

By 2017, New Zealand's median centre of population had moved 280 km (170 mi) north to near Kawhia in Waikato.

2017: US Department of State voices concerns regarding social status of the Māori population

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: New Zealand's Exports

In 2017–18 New Zealand exported meat, wood and wood products, fruit, machinery and wine.

2017: Life expectancy

In 2017–2019, life expectancy in New Zealand was 80.0 years for males and 83.5 years for females.

June 2018: Main Trading Partners

As of June 2018, New Zealand's main trading partners were China, Australia, the European Union, the United States, and Japan.

June 2018: Dairy Products as Largest Export Earner

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

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%).

2018: Electorates based on 2018 census data

Based on the 2018 census data, there are 72 electorates in New Zealand.

2018: Census regarding religion

In 2018, 48.2% of the population stated they had no religion, Christians were the single largest religious group, forming 36.5% of the population.

2018: Median age and census

In 2018, the median age of the New Zealand population was 37.4 years, as recorded in the census.

2018: R&D Expenditure as Proportion of GDP

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

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: Census Figure

The 2018 New Zealand census enumerated a resident population.

September 2019: Population Climbs 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: Life expectancy

In 2017–2019, life expectancy in New Zealand was 80.0 years for males and 83.5 years for females.

2019: Low voter turnout in local council elections.

In 2019, the voter turnout was already low at 42% in local council elections.

June 2020: 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 Climbs Above 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 Rates Among 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 in New Zealand.

2020: Fertility rate

In 2020, New Zealand experienced a sub-replacement fertility rate of 1.6, although this was above the OECD average.

September 2021: Unemployment Rate for Youth Aged 15 to 24

During the September 2021 quarter, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 24 in New Zealand was 9.2%.

December 2021: Lowest Unemployment Rate

In December 2021, New Zealand recorded its lowest unemployment rate using the current methodology, at 3.2%.

2021: Education statistics

In 2021, among the population aged 25–64, 13% 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: Child Poverty in New Zealand

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 Available to 87% of the Population

By 2022, Ultra-Fast Broadband was targeted to be available to 87% of the population.

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: New Zealand's Human Development Index and Economic Freedom Index Ranking

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

2022: Historically low turnout in local council elections

In 2022, a historically low 36% of eligible New Zealanders voted in the local council 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 is the 42nd and current prime minister of New Zealand.

2023: New Zealand's rankings in democratic institutions, transparency and corruption

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: Census regarding religion

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

2023: Census results on ethnicity

In the 2023 census, 67.8% of New Zealand residents identified as European, 17.8% as Māori, 17.3% as Asian, and 8.9% as Pacific peoples.

2023: 2023 Census Enumerated

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: North and South Island Population Distribution

As of June 2024, around 76.4% of New Zealand's population lived in the North Island and 23.6% in the South Island.

2024: New Zealand Ranks 4th in Global Peace Index

According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, New Zealand is the 4th most peaceful country in the world.

2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, New Zealand was ranked 25th in the Global Innovation Index.

March 2025: Total Population

As of March 2025, the total population has risen to an estimated 5,231,143.

2025: ICC Men's Test Team Ranking

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, with a significant increase in the percentage of people aged 60 and older.

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