This country profile features selected environmental indicators from the OECD Core Set, building on harmonised datasets available on OECD Data Explorer. The indicators reflect major environmental issues, including climate, air quality, freshwater resources, waste and the circular economy, and biodiversity. Differences with national data sources can occur due to delays in data treatment and publication, or due to different national definitions and measurement methods. The OECD is working with countries and other international organisations to further improve the indicators and the underlying data.
Environment at a Glance Indicators
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New Zealand
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Copy link to ContextNew Zealand is one of the most dynamic economies in the OECD. Population enjoys generally high living standards and environmental quality of life, with easy access to pristine wilderness and good air quality. The country is relatively sparsely populated. New Zealand is a small, open and fast growing economy. Natural resources have been a pillar of this growth, with agriculture, forestry, fishery and tourism accounting for a large share of gross domestic product (GDP) and exports. New Zealand is the world’s largest exporter of dairy products and sheep meat. The economy also has a sizable and expanding service sector, some large-scale manufacturing industries (notably aluminium and metal production, and food processing) and high-tech manufacturing. The diverse, and sometimes spectacular, landscapes underpin the growing film industry and tourism sectors.
New Zealand is a remote island state in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising two main islands (the North and South Islands) and many smaller islands. The terrain is predominantly mountainous, with some large coastal plains. Due to its geographic location and its natural history (which evolved in the absence of mammalian predators), New Zealand has a unique wealth of biodiversity, with one of the world’s highest rates of endemic flora and fauna species. The country is endowed with a wide variety of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources including iron ore, coal, gold, timber, natural gas, hydropower, sand and limestone, as well as fisheries. Its gas reserves are sufficient to entirely meet domestic consumption. The many rivers are swift and well suited to hydropower generation.
Climate change
Copy link to Climate changeEnergy mix
Copy link to Energy mixAir quality
Copy link to Air qualityAir emissions
Copy link to Air emissionsFreshwater resources
Copy link to Freshwater resourcesIntensity of use of freshwater resources
Copy link to Intensity of use of freshwater resourcesWaste, materials and circular economy
Copy link to Waste, materials and circular economyMunicipal waste
Copy link to Municipal wasteMaterial consumption
Copy link to Material consumptionBiodiversity
Copy link to BiodiversityProtected areas
Copy link to Protected areasReferences and further reading
OECD (2017), OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: New Zealand 2017, OECD Environmental Performance Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264268203-en.