Every figure below carries its named source and year. The Eco Index scores twelve pillars on the same scale everywhere; seven are measured from published data with fixed thresholds, five are assessed from the named sources.
New Zealand at a Glance.
The score, and the four numbers that set the tone. 12 equally-weighted pillars, every pillar sourced.
Compare with:
Renewable power
89%
of electricity
Food imported
13%
of merchandise imports · ~US$6,092m a year
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Water
Food & farming
Plant-based
Organic
Conservation
Wildlife
Materials
Pollution
Recycling
Energy
Culture
Heritage
Facts That Surprise People About New Zealand.
The numbers and firsts that change how you see New Zealand, the sobering and the remarkable. Every one is dated and linked to its source.
SoberingHealth
Two in three adults are overweight
In 2022, 67.4% of adults in New Zealand were overweight, according to WHO estimates published by the World Bank.
SoberingEnvironment
Glaciers have lost up to 30% of their ice
In the Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Area, a warming climate has melted up to 30% of glacier ice in the last four decades, with Fox and Franz Josef glaciers in marked retreat.
SoberingNature
Introduced predators among the biggest threats to wildlife
Separated from other land for 80 million years, New Zealand's wildlife evolved without mammal predators. Rats, stoats and possums now kill native birds, and IUCN notes a large proportion of the country's birds are extinct, threatened, vulnerable or rare.
RemarkableNature
Home of the world's only alpine parrot
The kea, the only alpine parrot in the world, lives in south west New Zealand. The same area holds the entire wild population of the endangered takahē, a large flightless bird.
RemarkableNature
Rainforests unmatched anywhere else
IUCN says the temperate rainforests of Te Wāhipounamu are unmatched in composition, extent and intactness by any such forests elsewhere in the world. Some southern beech and podocarp trees there are over 800 years old.
RemarkableEnvironment
Four fifths of electricity from renewables
Renewable sources produced 81.5% of New Zealand's electricity in 2021.
Worth knowingHealth
Nearly 300,000 adults live with diabetes
In 2024, 6.7% of New Zealand adults had diabetes, about 292,000 people.
The History of New Zealand.
Maori living culture sits at the centre of national life, from the haka and kapa haka performance to waiata song, poi and the carved marae that anchor communities. Ancestral knowledge, matauranga Maori, and living spirituality through karakia, whakapapa and a deep relationship to land and ancestors remain widely honoured.
Where the name comes from
Aotearoa in Māori, most often read as 'land of the long white cloud'. 'New Zealand' comes from Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland. Source: national and regional toponymic records.
The land itself: predominantly mountainous, with large plains along the coasts. Its high point is Aoraki / Mount Cook, 3,724 m, reduced from 3,764 m by a rock and ice avalanche in 1991 and subsequent erosion of the ice cap. Source: national mapping and survey records.
Where it starts
The last land settled
The ancestry here runs back to the Lapita voyaging tradition of around 1500 BC, but Aotearoa itself was reached late. High-precision radiocarbon dating places Polynesian landfall between about AD 1250 and 1300, in the last great pulse of Pacific settlement, making these islands the last large landmass on earth to be settled by people. Early sites such as Wairau Bar hold burials, adzes and evidence of continuing ties back to East Polynesia.
How it got here
Two texts, and a river
Iwi and hapu structures, pa fortifications, carving, weaving and an oral record tracing descent to named canoes developed over the following centuries. Dutch and then British ships recorded the islands in 1642 and 1769. Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed in 1840, and its Maori and English texts differ in what they cede. War and confiscation from the 1860s took much of the land, and the Waitangi Tribunal was set up in 1975 to hear claims. New Zealand was the first self-governing country in the world where women won the vote, in 1893, and in 2017 the Whanganui River became the first river in the world granted legal personhood by statute.
The timeline
c. 3,000 years ago
The voyaging line begins.
Seafarers of the Lapita culture, whose roots lie in an area that includes the Bismarck Archipelago, reach the empty islands of Remote Oceania. In time this expansion leads to the settlement of East Polynesia, the ancestry that eventually reaches these islands. Source
c. AD 1190 to 1290
Landfall.
Polynesian voyagers reach Aotearoa in a single rapid pulse of settlement across East Polynesia, among the last habitable places on earth to be settled by people. Source
c. AD 1300
Wairau Bar and the first settlements.
Wairau Bar, a large settlement occupied early in New Zealand history, holds burials and a rich array of early artefacts. It is the type site of the East Polynesian Archaic culture of the first settlers. Source
Before European contact
Iwi and hapu.
The iwi, or tribe, is the largest political group, made up of related hapu. Each hapu of one hundred to several hundred people holds its own territory and works together to build fortified pa, canoes and meeting houses. Source
1642 and 1769
European sighting.
Tasman records the coast in 1642 and leaves after a fatal encounter; Cook charts the islands in 1769. Maori had by then been settled here for roughly four centuries. Source
1840
Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The treaty is signed in two texts. The Maori version is not an exact translation of the English, and in the first article the English text cedes sovereignty while the Maori text gives the Queen kawanatanga, or government. Source
1860s onward
Land wars and confiscation.
After the wars of the 1860s the government confiscates significant areas of Maori land in the North Island. The Waitangi Tribunal is set up in 1975 to address Maori claims against the Crown. Source
1893
Votes for women.
New Zealand becomes the first self-governing country in the world where women win the vote. Source
2017
Te Awa Tupua.
Parliament passes legislation recognising the Whanganui River as a legal person, a step believed to be a world first. Source
PNAS, High-precision radiocarbon dating shows recent and rapid initial human colonization of East Polynesia · Te Papa Tongarewa, Museum of New Zealand · Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017 · Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, European discovery of New Zealand · Te Ara, Tribal organisation · Te Ara, New Zealand Wars · Te Ara, Waitangi Tribunal · NZHistory, Treaty of Waitangi, differences between the texts · NZHistory, New Zealand women and the vote
Nature and Biodiversity in New Zealand.
About a third of the country, some 33.4% of the land, is protected conservation estate managed by the Department of Conservation (World Bank, 2024), backed by the Predator Free 2050 programme, fenced ecosanctuaries and offshore island refuges. The roughly 30% marine protected figure is mostly benthic protection area, however, and true no-take marine reserves cover well under 1%.
Is wild New Zealand protected? 33.4% of the land is, already past the 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in New Zealand?
Forest cover38.9%
Terrestrial protected area33.4%
Marine protected area30.4%
145 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
Found only here. Kiwi, kakapo, tuatara, kea and weta, with no native land mammals except bats.
The watchlist
ThreatenedLong-tailed Bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedBlack Stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedGaleorhinus galeus Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray).
ThreatenedRama rama (Lophomyrtus bullata) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedEldons Galaxias (Galaxias eldoni) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedDeconica baylisiana Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedMalherbe's Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedChatham Shag (Leucocarbo onslowi) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Closest to being lost, by name
Long-tailed Bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in New Zealand. GBIF holds 10 verified occurrence records.
Black Stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in New Zealand. GBIF holds 45 verified occurrence records.
Galeorhinus galeus
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in New Zealand. GBIF holds 25 verified occurrence records.
Rama rama (Lophomyrtus bullata)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in New Zealand. GBIF holds 209 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for New Zealand filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Who is putting it back
National park in Manawatū-Whanganui, mapped and named in the open record for New Zealand. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve in Chatham Islands, mapped and named in the open record for New Zealand. OpenStreetMap.
Botanical garden in Canterbury, mapped and named in the open record for New Zealand. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in New Zealand.
New Zealand has abundant alpine rivers, lakes, snowmelt and aquifers, and about 100% of people use safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020). The 2016 Havelock North campylobacter outbreak drove major drinking water reform, and dairy intensification has raised nitrate levels in many lowland rivers, but overall supply security is very high.
Does New Zealand have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
100% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Tap water is safe for a visitor nearly everywhere.
Cleanest water: Te Waikoropupu (Pupu) Springs, among the clearest freshwater on Earth.
How much fresh water does New Zealand have, per person?
64,349 m³
New Zealand
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
New Zealand withdraws about 9,875 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 8.0% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as no water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 65%, homes and towns 11%, industry 24%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on New Zealand beaches?
✓Tap water: Drinkable.
✓Plastic rules: Single-use plastic bags banned in 2019, with further single-use plastics phased out through 2022 and 2023..
✓Solo travel: rated easy on the record for this destination.
✓Marine protection: 30.4% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge is met.
Named on the open map: Allans Beach, Bathing Beach, Bells Beach, Big Rock Beach, Boulder Beach, Bradleys Beach, Bush's Beach, Campbells Beach. That is 23 named beaches in the public record for New Zealand, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
88.8%
of people have safely managed sanitation
88.8% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). The rest is what the rivers and the coast receive.
How is the sea around New Zealand doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Four seasons in a day, strong UV; the alpine passes need caution in winter.
Nearshore
Protected water
30.4% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
Te Waikoropupu (Pupu) Springs, among the clearest freshwater on Earth..
The record
Measured
New Zealand has abundant alpine rivers, lakes, snowmelt and aquifers, and about 100% of people use safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020). The 2016 Havelock North campylobacter outbreak drove major drinking water reform, and dairy intensification has raised nitrate levels in many lowland rivers, but overall supply security is very high.
New Zealand scored 75 out of 100 on the Ocean Health Index in its 2025 assessment, above the global average of 72, and ranked 58th of 220 coastal regions. The index team says it is no longer updating scores, so the 2025 figures may be the last.
Sea protected
30.4%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
145 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Is the tap water safe in New Zealand?
100% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 64,349 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 1 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 8.1% of what New Zealand renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit New Zealand? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
How much fresh water does New Zealand actually have?
Nature renews about 64,349 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks New Zealand 200 of 208 countries measured, placing it among the 10 best-watered countries measured. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Food and Drink in New Zealand.
New Zealand is a major net food exporter of dairy, lamb, beef, kiwifruit, apples and wine and is highly self-sufficient in food.
Where does the food in New Zealand come from?
12.8% imported
about US$6,092m a year
On the plate: Kumara (sweet potato), potatoes, kiwifruit and apples.
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$6,092m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
About 12.8% of everything New Zealand buys in from abroad is food, roughly 1 in every 10 imported items on the dock (2025, World Bank). Farming itself is 4% of the economy and 36.9% of the land is agricultural, of which 2% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in New Zealand? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined89.5%
Diabetes6.7%
Artificial Limb Service (Peke Waihanga) figures reported in November 2021 show diabetes related amputations in New Zealand rose 38 per cent between 2016 and 2020, from 806 to 1,111 a year, with rates up 56 per cent for Māori and 59 per cent for Pasifika people with diabetes. A Te Whatu Ora audit of the Northern Region, published in the NZ Medical Journal in July 2024, counted 863 amputations on 488 people between 2013 and 2016, and found Māori and Pacific patients lost limbs about a decade younger than everyone else. Source: 1News.
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 67.4%.
Can New Zealand feed itself?
2.0%
Arable land
36.9%
Agricultural land
166,684
Farmers
1,284,946
Arable acres
4.0%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Autumn (February to April) for fruit and wine, with kiwifruit and apples in autumn.
Feeding itself
New Zealand is a major net food exporter of dairy, lamb, beef, kiwifruit, apples and wine and is highly self-sufficient in food.
Certification
Certified organic land is about 0.8% of farmland (FiBL, 2020), a small but export-focused and growing sector.
Water for crops
New Zealand has abundant alpine rivers, lakes, snowmelt and aquifers, and about 100% of people use safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020). The 2016 Havelock North campylobacter outbreak drove major drinking water reform, and dairy intensification has raised nitrate levels in many lowland rivers, but overall supply security is very high.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certification covers only part of what is grown cleanly, so a small certified share is a gap in the paperwork rather than proof that nothing is. What the official land record does show: 36.9% of the country is agricultural land and 2% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
What actually grows here
KiwifruitApplesGrapesPotatoesWheatBarley
The food that already fits
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in New Zealand are kiwi fruit, apples, potatoes, wheat and grapes (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Akaroa Farmers Market, Albert Street Market (Saturday), Auckland Night Market, Avondale Sunday Market, Bay of Islands Farmers Market, Christchurch Farmers' Market. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
Not yet checked by us. Plant based kitchens listed publicly: September Vegan Food, vegan restaurant on Manners Street, Wellington: East Asian cooking; Zodiac Wholefoods, vegan restaurant on Taranaki Street, Wellington: burgers, bowls and shakes; Aunty Mena's, vegan restaurant on Cuba Street, Wellington: vegetable Asian food; The Leafy Stop, vegan cafe in Kilbirnie, Wellington: soups, stews and sandwiches; Krishna Food, vegan cafeteria on Victoria University's Kelburn campus, open to the public: curries and salads; Bikaner, vegetarian Indian restaurant in Petone. Tell us how they are.
Is this grown in New Zealand?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
PotatoesKiwifruitApples
World Bank Open Data · FAO, FAOSTAT crop production · World Health Organization · FAO AQUASTAT · 1News, Significant rise in amputations for Kiwis with diabetes (10 November 2021) · Te Ao Māori News, Māori and Pasifika underwent diabetes amputations a decade earlier than other groups (6 July 2024) · HappyCow, Wellington listings
Climate and Energy in New Zealand.
New Zealand generated about 85.5% of its electricity from renewable sources in 2024, chiefly hydropower, geothermal and a fast growing wind fleet, according to the government's Energy in New Zealand 2025 report. Its carbon dioxide emissions were roughly 6.23 tonnes per person in 2024, a moderate figure lifted by transport and by a dry hydro year that raised coal use. The Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019 legislates net zero for long lived greenhouse gases by 2050 and the country runs an Emissions Trading Scheme. Gross emissions remain high once agricultural methane is counted, which tempers the score despite the clean grid.
What powers New Zealand?
Renewable 88.5%Fossil 11.5%
The national grid is owned and run by Transpower, a state owned enterprise and limited company that answers to its sole shareholder, the New Zealand Government. Transpower is both the owner of the grid and the system operator, managing the power system day to day. The regulator is the Electricity Authority, which says it regulates the electricity system to deliver reliable power at least cost to consumers, enforces the Electricity Industry Act 2010 and its participation code, and runs the system and markets through contracted service providers, including the system operator.
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
6.01 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
9 tonnes
The grid
New Zealand generated about 85.5% of its electricity from renewable sources in 2024, chiefly hydropower, geothermal and a fast growing wind fleet, according to the government's Energy in New Zealand 2025 report. Its carbon dioxide emissions were roughly 6.23 tonnes per person in 2024, a moderate figure lifted by transport and by a dry hydro year that raised coal use.
Pollution
New Zealand banned single-use plastic shopping bags in 2019 and phased out further single-use plastics through 2022 and 2023, and its air is among the cleanest measured at about 5.1 micrograms per cubic metre PM2.5 (IQAir, 2025), though rural waterways carry farm run-off and some inland towns get winter woodsmoke.
Water stress
New Zealand has abundant alpine rivers, lakes, snowmelt and aquifers, and about 100% of people use safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020). The 2016 Havelock North campylobacter outbreak drove major drinking water reform, and dairy intensification has raised nitrate levels in many lowland rivers, but overall supply security is very high.
What pollutes most here
1The grid The share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.11%
2Industry Intensive dairy farming and its freshwater nitrate run-off..named
3Air Modelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.5.1
4On the record New Zealand banned single-use plastic shopping bags in 2019 and phased out further single-use plastics through 2022 and 2023, and its air is among the cleanest measured at about 5.1 micrograms per cubic metre PM2.5 (IQAir, 2025), though rural waterways carry farm run-off and some inland towns get winter woodsmoke.
What has New Zealand promised on climate?
Net zero, whole economy2050
Electricity renewable today81.4% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target33.4% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target30.4% by 2025
The net-zero target year on file with Climate Watch is 2050, status: in policy document; in law. Measured against it, 81.4% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 18.6% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year6.01 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Paris return, economy3.42 t CO2e
London return, economy3.39 t CO2e
Frankfurt return, economy3.35 t CO2e
New York return, economy2.6 t CO2e
Dubai return, economy2.56 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to New Zealand emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Firsts on climate finance. On 15 November 2022 New Zealand Debt Management issued NZ$3 billion of sovereign green bonds maturing in 2034. Orders topped NZ$7.5 billion. The government said the money will finance or refinance public projects already planned or under way that help reach net zero by 2050.
Climate Watch (WRI) · UNFCCC NDC Registry · World Bank Open Data · UK DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors · Transpower, Who we are · Transpower, About us · Electricity Authority, What we do · National Tribune (New Zealand Government statement), New Zealand Sovereign Green Bonds issued (15 November 2022)
AI and Data Centres in New Zealand.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in New Zealand.
Data centres
93
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
88.5 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in New Zealand?
Running AI here is about as clean as it currently gets.
Renewable 88.5%Fossil 11.5%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 81.4% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. New Zealand has 93 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Auckland (22), Wellington (12), Christchurch (11), alongside 12 internet exchanges (APE, WIX-NZ, CHIX-NZ, AKL-IX (Auckland NZ)). Named sites include Sky Tower, 2degrees Auckland, Albany, Xtreme Networks, Wellington DC, Mayoral Drive Exchange (MDR).
Where the cables land. 19 landing points · Auckland, Christchurch, Fighting Bay, Invercargill
Economy and Tourism in New Zealand.
58% residents to 42% visitors across a year. 3,888,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 5,324,700 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in New Zealand
996k
Visitors a year
0.2
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is New Zealand?· for every $100 New Zealand earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 1986 peak
$ 68The worst year on the IMF record. New Zealand owed $68 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 1986signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 57What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 55The IMF's own forecast has this falling to $55 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 New Zealand earns in a year, it owes $57 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in New Zealand?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 3,888,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 5,324,700 residents, 0.7 visitors for every resident (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play2
The bed
There is no single published register of who owns New Zealand's largest hotels and resorts, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Ownership can be traced company by company on the New Zealand Companies Register, and overseas purchases appear in the LINZ Overseas Investment Office decision summaries. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published3
The plate
Food is only 12.8% of everything New Zealand imports (2025, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, kiwifruit, apples, grapes, potatoes, wheat, barley, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown4
The power
81.4% of the electricity is renewable (2021, World Bank), so the energy on the bill is mostly generated inside the country rather than shipped in.
made at home5
What actually stays
Of the two parts of a visitor's bill that can be measured here, the plate and the power stay inside New Zealand. This is not an economy where a visitor's money drains away, and the board is shorter for it.
most of it6
Pay the bank first
New Zealand owes $57 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$57 per $1007
No plan B
28.9% of everything New Zealand sells abroad is dairy, eggs and honey (2023, UN Comtrade). One market moving takes the whole board with it.
28.9% one export8
Community chest
Tourism earns 18.8% of everything New Zealand makes from exports (2018, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
18.8% of exports9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Paris a return economy seat is 3.42 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
3.42 t CO210
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$279 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$279bnGDPUS$264.1bn
Agriculture, share of GDP4%
Visitors a year996,000
Visitors per resident0.2
Residents~5,324,700
Agriculture
Farming is 4% of the economy. New Zealand is a major net food exporter of dairy, lamb, beef, kiwifruit, apples and wine and is highly self-sufficient in food.
Natural materials
A living wool tradition in merino and strong wool runs alongside Maori harakeke flax weaving, known as raranga, and possum-merino craft, all still made today.
Energy
New Zealand generated about 85.5% of its electricity from renewable sources in 2024, chiefly hydropower, geothermal and a fast growing wind fleet, according to the government's Energy in New Zealand 2025 report. Its carbon dioxide emissions were roughly 6.23 tonnes per person in 2024, a moderate figure lifted by transport and by a dry hydro year that raised coal use.
Who owns the biggest hotels in New Zealand?
By rooms · company records and press.
Beaconstone Eco Stay · ~4 roomsIndependentnot published
Fiordland Retreat · ~1 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
20153,129k
20163,494k
20173,723k
20183,858k
20193,888k
2020996k
International tourism receipts run at about US$10.96 billion in 2018 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 18.8% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
Visiting New Zealand, whoever you are.
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking what the land here grows, kiwifruit, apples, grapes, potatoes, wheat and barley, over an imported menu. The checked list
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays.
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays
4. Use the transport residents use Self-drive or campervan, domestic flights, and the Cook Strait ferry between the islands.
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
Swipe
First time here
A pair of Pacific islands with extraordinary endemic wildlife, near-fully renewable electricity and Maori-led conservation, balanced against farm-driven freshwater pressures.
Best time: Summer and early autumn.
Getting around
Self-drive or campervan, domestic flights, and the Cook Strait ferry between the islands.
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate that actually grows here is kiwifruit, apples, grapes, potatoes, wheat and barley. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cards everywhere; NZD. Drive on the left; give way to campervans.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Who owns the places to stay
Beaconstone Eco StayIndependent · 4 rooms
Fiordland RetreatIndependent · 1 rooms
None of the 2 properties listed here publishes who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in New Zealand.
How well is New Zealand actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, New Zealand scores 87 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is a state that generally does what it says it will do, which is what makes a climate pledge worth reading.
What is daily life in New Zealand really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Self-drive or campervan, domestic flights, and the Cook Strait ferry between the islands.
Made in New Zealand.
A living wool tradition in merino and strong wool runs alongside Maori harakeke flax weaving, known as raranga, and possum-merino craft, all still made today. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What New Zealand actually sells the world
The single biggest thing New Zealand sells the world is dairy, eggs and honey, 28.9% of all exports in 2023 (about US$12.18 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are meat at 12.7%, wood and wood articles at 6.9%, fruit and nuts at 5.1%, beverages, spirits and vinegar at 3.7%.
Made now · natural materials
Living wool tradition in merino
Worked in New Zealand from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Strong wool runs alongside Maori harakeke flax weaving
Worked in New Zealand from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Known as raranga
Worked in New Zealand from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
All still made today
Worked in New Zealand from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Buys in · 14.4% of imports
Mineral fuels and oils
New Zealand imported US$7.29 billion of mineral fuels and oils in 2023, 14.4% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 13.8% of imports
Vehicles
New Zealand imported US$6.95 billion of vehicles in 2023, 13.8% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 13.5% of imports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
New Zealand imported US$6.84 billion of machinery and mechanical appliances in 2023, 13.5% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 8.9% of imports
Electrical machinery and electronics
New Zealand imported US$4.49 billion of electrical machinery and electronics in 2023, 8.9% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
The maths for an entrepreneur. New Zealand produces about US$264 billion a year, which is roughly US$49,591 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 4% of that, while food is 12.8% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in.
See the verified makersCulture in New Zealand.
Haka
Haka is not only a war dance. There are many kinds, each for its own occasion, from welcoming guests and opening a meeting house to honouring the dead and the ancestors.
Kapa haka
Kapa haka means groups standing in rows to perform traditional Maori dances, accompanied by sung or chanted words. It remains a living art form, with poi and waiata at its heart.
Waiata
Waiata are Maori songs in many forms, from oriori, or lullabies, to waiata tangi, songs of mourning. They support speeches on the marae, teach children and record history through ancestors, events and places.
Whakairo carving
Between 1500 and 1800 Maori carving developed its own style, with curved patterns and spirals inspired by plants such as ferns. Carved storehouses, war canoes and later meeting houses showed the mana of a tribe.
Raranga flax weavingWeaving is central to Maori life. Early Maori turned harakeke, New Zealand flax, into fine fibre called muka, replacing the paper mulberry used for cloth elsewhere in the Pacific.
Marae protocolThe kawa, or protocol, of each marae is set by the local whanau, hapu or iwi. It decides roles such as the kaikaranga, women who call visitors on, and the order in which hosts and visitors speak.
Does New Zealand protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Maori living culture sits at the centre of national life, from the haka and kapa haka performance to waiata song, poi and the carved marae that anchor communities. Ancestral knowledge, matauranga Maori, and living spirituality through karakia, whakapapa and a deep relationship to land and ancestors remain widely honoured. The Maori language, te reo, is an official language in active revitalisation, taught in kohanga reo and celebrated nationally.
Who it belongs to. Maori culture is living and central, with iwi co-governance of conservation, legal personhood granted to the Whanganui River, the guardianship ethic of kaitiakitanga and a strong Maori-led tourism sector that keeps benefits with communities.
Only here. The tuatara, the last surviving member of an ancient reptile lineage, found only here..
The Future of New Zealand.
Three futures for New Zealand, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Avice Hill Arts and Craft Centre (Christchurch), Ward Park Arts & Craft Centre (Hamilton City), Tauranga Art and Craft Centre (Tauranga), JJ's Craft (Napier), Christchurch Botanic Gardens (Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: All You Needle, Art Zone, Artworks, Beadazzle, Crafting Around, Creative Genius.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 36.5% to 38.9% across 29 recorded years.
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 83.1% to 81.5% across 26 recorded years.
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 7.84 t to 6.01 t across 29 recorded years.
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 1,409k to 996k across 25 recorded years.
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 27.3% to 33.4% across 12 recorded years.
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 9.67% to 5.42% across 30 recorded years.
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 27.9% to 30.4% across 12 recorded years.
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 49.9% to 36.8% across 29 recorded years.
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 85.4% to 84% across 30 recorded years.
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 8.2 µg/m³ to 6.88 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 89,018 m³ to 64,349 m³ across 27 recorded years.
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 51.9% to 67.4% across 27 recorded years.
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 100% to 100% across 29 recorded years.
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 17,400 to 49,591 across 30 recorded years.
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 3,673k to 5,325k across 30 recorded years.
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 28.7% to 28.9% across 26 recorded years.
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 4,092 kg to 3,572 kg across 29 recorded years.
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 27.9% to 30.6% across 12 recorded years.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 76.7 yrs to 82 yrs across 29 recorded years.
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 5,625 kg/ha to 9,102 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 1,732 kg/ha to 1,341 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 14.6% to 16% across 30 recorded years.
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 36.9 $/m3 to 22 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 7.47% to 10.1% across 24 recorded years.
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 96,114 km2 to 103,030 km2 across 30 recorded years.
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 9,200 kWh to 7,910 kWh across 30 recorded years.
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 44.21 to 40.45 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 1.54 to 1.91 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 4.57 to 4.43 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 23.21 to 29.55 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 1.64 to 2.52 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 5.95 to 5.88 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, organic farming at 1/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
What the best case actually asks for
Lift organic farming
It scores 1 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of New Zealand's record. Certified organic land is about 0.8% of farmland (FiBL, 2020), a small but export-focused and growing sector.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift food and farming
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of New Zealand's record. New Zealand is a major net food exporter of dairy, lamb, beef, kiwifruit, apples and wine and is highly self-sufficient in food.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift plant-based eating
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of New Zealand's record. Wellington and Auckland have a lively and growing plant-based scene, but the national food culture is strongly built on meat and dairy.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in New Zealand.
Who is in charge of New Zealand now · Office-holders from the UN Protocol and Liaison Service public list of Heads of State and Heads of Government, 20 October 2026. Legislature and election dates from IFES ElectionGuide. Constitution dates from the Constitute Project. Governance scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024.
Christopher Luxon
Prime Minister
Christopher Luxon is the head of government of New Zealand, in office since 27 November 2023. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government scores 87.3 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 87.8 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Control of corruption scores 86.1 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 87.2 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Political stability and absence of violence scores 86.3 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 87.5 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Rule of law scores 85.9 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 86.7 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Regulatory quality scores 87.4 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 87.1 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Christopher LuxonPrime Minister
House of RepresentativesLegislature, unicameral
Last election14 October 2023
Next election7 November 2026
Constitutionuncodified; Constitution Act 1986 and related statutes
Government typeparliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
New Zealand national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
Plain Answers About New Zealand.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
Swipe
Is New Zealand sustainable?
New Zealand scores 75 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. A pair of Pacific islands with extraordinary endemic wildlife, near-fully renewable electricity and Maori-led conservation, balanced against farm-driven freshwater pressures.
Is the water in New Zealand safe and plentiful?
New Zealand has abundant alpine rivers, lakes, snowmelt and aquifers, and about 100% of people use safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020). The 2016 Havelock North campylobacter outbreak drove major drinking water reform, and dairy intensification has raised nitrate levels in many lowland rivers, but overall supply security is very high.
Can New Zealand feed itself?
New Zealand is a major net food exporter of dairy, lamb, beef, kiwifruit, apples and wine and is highly self-sufficient in food.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in New Zealand?
Wellington and Auckland have a lively and growing plant-based scene, but the national food culture is strongly built on meat and dairy.
How much of New Zealand is actually protected?
About a third of the country, some 33.4% of the land, is protected conservation estate managed by the Department of Conservation (World Bank, 2024), backed by the Predator Free 2050 programme, fenced ecosanctuaries and offshore island refuges. The roughly 30% marine protected figure is mostly benthic protection area, however, and true no-take marine reserves cover well under 1%.
What wildlife is left in New Zealand?
New Zealand has extraordinary endemism, from kiwi, kakapo and kea to the tuatara, with no native land mammals except bats, and it leads the world in predator eradication and island rewilding. That same isolation leaves it with one of the longest lists of threatened birds anywhere.
Is New Zealand on clean energy?
New Zealand generated about 85.5% of its electricity from renewable sources in 2024, chiefly hydropower, geothermal and a fast growing wind fleet, according to the government's Energy in New Zealand 2025 report. Its carbon dioxide emissions were roughly 6.23 tonnes per person in 2024, a moderate figure lifted by transport and by a dry hydro year that raised coal use. The Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019 legislates net zero for long lived greenhouse gases by 2050 and the country runs an Emissions Trading Scheme.
How polluted is New Zealand?
New Zealand banned single-use plastic shopping bags in 2019 and phased out further single-use plastics through 2022 and 2023, and its air is among the cleanest measured at about 5.1 micrograms per cubic metre PM2.5 (IQAir, 2025), though rural waterways carry farm run-off and some inland towns get winter woodsmoke.
Does recycling work in New Zealand?
Kerbside recycling is modest and New Zealand sends a high volume of waste to landfill per person, among the higher rates in the developed world.
Is the farming in New Zealand organic?
Certified organic land is about 0.8% of farmland (FiBL, 2020), a small but export-focused and growing sector.
Are there natural materials and craft in New Zealand?
A living wool tradition in merino and strong wool runs alongside Maori harakeke flax weaving, known as raranga, and possum-merino craft, all still made today.
Is there living culture in New Zealand?
Maori culture is living and central, with iwi co-governance of conservation, legal personhood granted to the Whanganui River, the guardianship ethic of kaitiakitanga and a strong Maori-led tourism sector that keeps benefits with communities.
What heritage does New Zealand keep alive?
Maori living culture sits at the centre of national life, from the haka and kapa haka performance to waiata song, poi and the carved marae that anchor communities. Ancestral knowledge, matauranga Maori, and living spirituality through karakia, whakapapa and a deep relationship to land and ancestors remain widely honoured. The Maori language, te reo, is an official language in active revitalisation, taught in kohanga reo and celebrated nationally.
So is New Zealand actually green? The measured answer
What is working: land protected at 33.4%, sea protected at 30.4%, renewable electricity at 81.4%.
What is not: the gaps are narrower here than in most of the directory, and each remaining one is named below.
How New Zealand Ranks, region and world.
Where New Zealand sits on the Eco Index, against its Oceania neighbours and the 77 destinations scored worldwide.
New Zealand sits 8 of 77 at 75/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking
What is New Zealand particularly good at?
✓ Water, scored 5/5. New Zealand has abundant alpine rivers, lakes, snowmelt and aquifers, and about 100% of people use safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020). The 2016 Havelock North campylobacter outbreak drove major drinking water reform, and dairy intensification has raised nitrate levels in many lowland rivers, but overall supply security is very high.
✓ Conservation, scored 5/5. About a third of the country, some 33.4% of the land, is protected conservation estate managed by the Department of Conservation (World Bank, 2024), backed by the Predator Free 2050 programme, fenced ecosanctuaries and offshore island refuges. The roughly 30% marine protected figure is mostly benthic protection area, however, and true no-take marine reserves cover well under 1%.
✓ Pollution, scored 5/5. New Zealand banned single-use plastic shopping bags in 2019 and phased out further single-use plastics through 2022 and 2023, and its air is among the cleanest measured at about 5.1 micrograms per cubic metre PM2.5 (IQAir, 2025), though rural waterways carry farm run-off and some inland towns get winter woodsmoke.
Where does New Zealand score worst?
✕ Organic farming, scored 1/5. Certified organic land is about 0.8% of farmland (FiBL, 2020), a small but export-focused and growing sector.
✕ Food and farming, scored 3/5. New Zealand is a major net food exporter of dairy, lamb, beef, kiwifruit, apples and wine and is highly self-sufficient in food.
✕ Plant-based eating, scored 3/5. Wellington and Auckland have a lively and growing plant-based scene, but the national food culture is strongly built on meat and dairy.
A note from the lens of mother natureSwipe
Organic farming, 1/5
Certified organic land is about 0.8% of farmland (FiBL, 2020), a small but export-focused and growing sector.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of New Zealand's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Food and farming, 3/5
New Zealand is a major net food exporter of dairy, lamb, beef, kiwifruit, apples and wine and is highly self-sufficient in food.
Plant-based eating, 3/5
Wellington and Auckland have a lively and growing plant-based scene, but the national food culture is strongly built on meat and dairy.
The New Zealand Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in New Zealand, checked and listed.
How the rest of the world scores New Zealand
Independent global indices, for calibration.
Forest cover
38.9
World Bank, 2024.
Protected land
33.4
World Bank, 2025.
Protected sea
30.4
World Bank, 2025.
Renewable grid
81.5
World Bank, 2021.
CO2 per person
6.0 tonnes (2024)
World Bank, 2024.
Threatened species
145 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Recorded figure, sourced on this page.
Control of corruption
86.1 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Government effectiveness
90.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Rule of law
85.9 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Political stability
86.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Voice and accountability
87.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Environmental Performance Index
55.5 / 100 · 32 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 32 of 177 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
42.6 / 100 · 94 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 94 of 177 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
39.0 / 100 · 102 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 102 of 177 countries assessed.
Air quality
86.7 / 100 · 10 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 10 of 177 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
86.8 / 100 · 36 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 36 of 177 countries assessed.
Marine habitat protected
19.3 / 100 · 59 of 111
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 59 of 111 countries assessed.
How New Zealand Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Seven pillars are scored from published measurements with the same fixed thresholds everywhere: energy (low-carbon share of electricity, 90% or more scores 5, 70% 4, 50% 3, 25% 2), conservation (land and sea protected), water (safe drinking water, wastewater treated, water stress), organic farmland, recycling, food import dependence and air quality. Where a measurement is not published for a place, that pillar keeps its source-assessed score and is labelled as such. Wildlife, culture, heritage, materials and plant-based eating have no comparable measurement and are assessed from the named sources. The Eco Index is the average of the twelve pillar scores multiplied by 20. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Water
Safe drinking water, wastewater treated and water stress. Measured.
02
Food & farming
How much of the import bill is food: whether the place feeds itself. Measured.
03
Plant-based
How easy it is to eat plant-based, from documented sources.
04
Organic
Certified organic share of farmland. Measured.
05
Conservation
Land and sea legally protected, against the 30 by 30 goal. Measured.
06
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost, from documented sources.
07
Materials
Local natural fibres and craft, from documented sources.
08
Pollution
Air quality (PM2.5, measured) and plastics and waste policy.
09
Recycling
Share of municipal waste recycled. Measured.
10
Energy
Low-carbon share of electricity, nuclear included. Measured.
11
Culture
Living culture and community-led visits, from documented sources.
12
Heritage
What the law keeps standing, from documented sources.
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
0
Absent
nothing verifiable exists
1
Failing
measurably going the wrong way
2
Weak
claims outrun delivery
3
Fair
real effort, mixed results
4
Strong
genuinely good, evidence named
5
Leading
world class, and the trend holds
Where the numbers come from.
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 75 sources across 29 institutions
World Bank17 FIGURES
- Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 check
- Terrestrial protected areas (% of land area) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2024 check
- Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 check
- People using safely managed drinking water services (% of population) SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, 2020 check
- Threatened species (mammals EN.MAM.THRD.NO, birds EN.BIR.THRD.NO, fish EN.FSH.THRD.NO, higher plants EN.HPT.THRD.NO), 2022 check
- Renewable electricity output (% of total) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
- CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
- GDP (current US$) NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, 2025 check
- International tourist arrivals ST.INT.ARVL, 2020 check
- Agricultural land (% of land area) AG.LND.AGRI.ZS, 2023 check
- Arable land (% of land area) AG.LND.ARBL.ZS, 2023 check
- Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2023 check
- Renewable internal freshwater per capita (m3) ER.H2O.INTR.PC, 2022 check
- Safely managed sanitation (% of population) SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, 2024 check
- Overweight prevalence, adults (%) SH.STA.OWAD.ZS, 2022 check
- Central government debt (% of GDP) GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS, 2024 check
- Population total SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 check
Other published sources14 FIGURES
- First by statute: Colombia's Constitutional Court had already recognised the Atrato River as a subject of rights in judgment T-622/16, dated 10 November 2016 check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (mammal). check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia corroboration check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia corroboration check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (bird). check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves corroboration check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves corroboration check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Elasmobranchii, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray) check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Elasmobranchii corroboration check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Elasmobranchii corroboration check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, kingdom Plantae, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (plant). check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, kingdom Plantae corroboration check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, kingdom Plantae corroboration check
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) occurrence search, filtered to country New Zealand, IUCN category Critically Endangered, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in New Zealand in GBIF occurrence data (species). check
Ministry for the Environment (Manatu Mo Te Taiao)7 FIGURES
- New Zealand, New Zealand banned single-use plastic shopping bags in 2019 and phased out further single-use plastics through check
- New Zealand corroboration check
- New Zealand corroboration check
- New Zealand corroboration check
- New Zealand corroboration check
- New Zealand corroboration check
- New Zealand corroboration check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, New Zealand, 2025 (46.3%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, New Zealand, 2025 (47.2%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, New Zealand, 2025 (24.5%), country-reported check
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, New Zealand, 2025 (39.1%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area under a long-term management plan (%) AG_LND_FRSTMGT, New Zealand, 2025 (75.3%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, New Zealand, 2025 (36.2%), country-reported check
FAO2 FIGURES
Ministry for Women (Manatu Wahine)2 FIGURES
- New Zealand's National Recycling Rate: Options and Estimates (2023) check
UNESCO Institute for Statistics2 FIGURES
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme2 FIGURES
Climate Watch (WRI)1 FIGURE
- Net-Zero Tracker check
Constitute Project1 FIGURE
- New Zealand 1852 (rev. 2014) check
FiBL1 FIGURE
- The World of Organic Agriculture, organic farmland statistics check
Gold tier1 FIGURE
- but not the first: NamibRand in Namibia was certified Gold Tier on 24 May 2012, before Aoraki Mackenzie on 9 June 2012 check
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, New Zealand, 2023 (30.3%), modelled estimate check
IFES ElectionGuide1 FIGURE
- New Zealand elections and chambers check
IQAir1 FIGURE
- World Air Quality Report annual PM2.5, 2025 check
IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria1 FIGURE
- Version 3.1, second edition (IUCN Library System), Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in New Zealand. check
Low Carbon Power1 FIGURE
- New Zealand electricity mix (hydro 58%, geothermal 22%, wind 9%), 2025 check
Ministry of Business1 FIGURE
- Innovation and Employment, Energy in New Zealand 2025, 2025 check
New Zealand Department of Conservation1 FIGURE
- national protected-area and wildlife authority check
Ngai Tahu Tourism1 FIGURE
- Ngai Tahu Tourism, owned by Ngai Tahu (the largest iwi in the South Island) is one of New Zealand's biggest to check
OECD Environment Statistics1 FIGURE
- municipal waste check
Our World in Data1 FIGURE
- CO2 emissions per capita, 2024 check
Stats NZ1 FIGURE
- national statistical authority for New Zealand check
UN Environment Programme1 FIGURE
- national plastic-bag legislation check
UN Protocol and Liaison Service1 FIGURE
- Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, public list dated 20 October 2026 check
UNESCO1 FIGURE
- Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists check