The fertility rate of a country is the average number of children that women from that country will have throughout their reproductive years. In 1855, New Zealand's women of childbearing age would go on to have approximately 5.3 children on average during their lifetime. Over the course of the next eighty years, the fertility rate would increase to 5.7 in 1870 (due to the continued arrival of settlers to the islands), before decreasing to 2.4 in 1935. During and after the Second World War, from 1935 until the 1970s, New Zealand experienced its 'Baby Boom', where the fertility rate increased to 4.1 births per woman in 1960, before dropping sharply to two births per woman in 1985, and it has remained between 1.9 and 2.2 since then.

New Zealand NZ: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.870 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.990 Ratio for 2015. New Zealand NZ: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 2.100 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.107 Ratio in 1962 and a record low of 1.870 Ratio in 2016. New Zealand NZ: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.World Bank: Health Statistics. Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: it can indicate the status of women within households and a woman’s decision about the number and spacing of children.

In New Zealand, the crude birth rate in 1850 was 37 live births per thousand people, meaning that 3.7 percent of the population had been born in that year. This rate fluctuates over the next thirty years, reaching it's highest recorded number in 1870 (42.3 births per thousand), before dropping consistently from 1880 until 1935. In 1935, New Zealand's crude birth rate was just 17.4 births per thousand people, however New Zealand then experienced a relatively large baby boom after the Second World War, and did not fall to it's pre-war level again until the late 1970s. From the 1980s onwards, New Zealand's crude birth rate has remained around the mid-teens, although it is expected to fall to a record-low of 12.6 births per thousand in 2020.

New Zealand NZ: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 12.650 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 13.270 Ratio for 2015. New Zealand NZ: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 16.200 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 27.100 Ratio in 1961 and a record low of 12.650 Ratio in 2016. New Zealand NZ: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

In 2023, the crude birth rate in live births per 1,000 inhabitants in New Zealand amounted to 10.86. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 15.55, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Historical dataset showing New Zealand birth rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

In 2023, the age group which had the highest rate of births in New Zealand was 30 to 34 years old, with ****** births for every 1,000 women. Comparatively, the age range which had the lowest number of births per 1,000 women was 45 to 49 years old in the same year.

New Zealand NZ: Crude Birth Rate: per 1000 Persons data was reported at 10.200 NA in 2050. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10.300 NA for 2049. New Zealand NZ: Crude Birth Rate: per 1000 Persons data is updated yearly, averaging 13.100 NA from Jun 1986 (Median) to 2050, with 65 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.600 NA in 1990 and a record low of 10.200 NA in 2050. New Zealand NZ: Crude Birth Rate: per 1000 Persons data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

Actual value and historical data chart for New Zealand Birth Rate Crude Per 1 000 People

Actual value and historical data chart for New Zealand Fertility Rate Total Births Per Woman

Historical dataset showing New Zealand fertility rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

This dataset is about countries per year in New Zealand. It has 1 row and is filtered where the date is 2021. It features 4 columns: country, birth rate, and fertility rate.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in deaths per 1,000 live births in New Zealand amounted to four. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 18.6, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Actual value and historical data chart for New Zealand Sex Ratio At Birth Male Births Per Female Births

New Zealand NZ: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 4.400 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.500 Ratio for 2016. New Zealand NZ: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 9.950 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.600 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 4.400 Ratio in 2017. New Zealand NZ: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.World Bank: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

Actual value and historical data chart for New Zealand Adolescent Fertility Rate Births Per 1 000 Women Ages 15 19

In 2023, the total fertility rate in children per woman in New Zealand was 1.56. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 2.68, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

This bar chart displays birth rate (per 1,000 people) by country using the aggregation average, weighted by population in New Zealand. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

Actual value and historical data chart for New Zealand Mortality Rate Infant Male Per 1000 Live Births

New Zealand NZ: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 5.300 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.400 Ratio for 2016. New Zealand NZ: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 12.100 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 27.900 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 5.300 Ratio in 2017. New Zealand NZ: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates Developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.