Energy imports and exports in New Zealand
New Zealand: Energy imports and exports was 31.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Energy imports and exports in New Zealand, 1990–2023
Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of energy use.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 31.6% for energy imports and exports in 2023.
The figure is up 9.8% on the previous year and up 29.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy imports and exports in New Zealand peaked at 33.5% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 14.2%, in 1993.
That places New Zealand 66th out of 142 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Energy imports and exports in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of energy use | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 16.3% | — |
| 1991 | 14.3% | -12.1% |
| 1992 | 14.9% | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 14.2% | -4.3% |
| 1994 | 18.7% | +31.8% |
| 1995 | 20.3% | +8.5% |
| 1996 | 18.0% | -11.2% |
| 1997 | 16.1% | -10.7% |
| 1998 | 21.5% | +33.2% |
| 1999 | 19.8% | -7.5% |
| 2000 | 19.5% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 19.1% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 21.6% | +12.8% |
| 2003 | 26.1% | +20.9% |
| 2004 | 30.6% | +17.0% |
| 2005 | 29.2% | -4.4% |
| 2006 | 28.4% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 25.3% | -11.0% |
| 2008 | 16.9% | -33.4% |
| 2009 | 19.5% | +15.8% |
| 2010 | 16.1% | -17.5% |
| 2011 | 19.1% | +18.5% |
| 2012 | 19.9% | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 24.4% | +22.4% |
| 2014 | 22.4% | -7.9% |
| 2015 | 23.9% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 28.8% | +20.4% |
| 2017 | 28.8% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 33.5% | +16.3% |
| 2019 | 31.8% | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 30.6% | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 29.4% | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 28.8% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 31.6% | +9.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.4% | 14.2% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.6% | 16.9% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.9% | 16.1% | 33.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.1% | 28.8% | 31.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More energy & mining data for New Zealand
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 1.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 12.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy imports and exports in New Zealand?
- Energy imports and exports in New Zealand was 31.6% in 2023, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy imports and exports recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 33.5% in 2018.
- What is the lowest energy imports and exports recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.2% in 1993.
- How does New Zealand rank for energy imports and exports?
- New Zealand ranks 66th out of 142 countries with data for 2023.
- Is energy imports and exports rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy imports and exports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Energy trade, measured as the percentage of energy use. Positive values indicate a country or region is a net importer of energy. Negative numbers indicate a country or region is a net exporter.