Fossil fuel consumption per person in New Zealand
New Zealand: Fossil fuel consumption per person was 24,629 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025. β² Rising
Fossil fuel consumption per person in New Zealand, 1965β2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources β with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fossil fuel consumption per person in New Zealand is 24,629 kilowatt-hours per person, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 5.1% on the previous year and down 27.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fossil fuel consumption per person in New Zealand peaked at 39,356 kilowatt-hours per person in 2001 and was at its lowest, 19,635 kilowatt-hours per person, in 1965.
New Zealand ranks 61st of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 61 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20,123 kilowatt-hours per person | 19,635 kilowatt-hours per person | 20,436 kilowatt-hours per person | 5 |
| 1970s | 24,272 kilowatt-hours per person | 22,557 kilowatt-hours per person | 26,807 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 27,034 kilowatt-hours per person | 22,476 kilowatt-hours per person | 31,479 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 34,343 kilowatt-hours per person | 32,353 kilowatt-hours per person | 37,140 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 36,420 kilowatt-hours per person | 33,078 kilowatt-hours per person | 39,356 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 33,507 kilowatt-hours per person | 32,532 kilowatt-hours per person | 34,604 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 26,600 kilowatt-hours per person | 24,629 kilowatt-hours per person | 28,723 kilowatt-hours per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 58 Ireland 25,630 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 59 Austria 25,187 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 60 St. Kitts and Nevis 24,745 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 62 Barbados 23,598 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 63 Serbia, Republic of 22,755 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 64 Spain 22,434 kilowatt-hours per person compare
More energy & mining data for New Zealand
- Fuel imports 12.0% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 2.1% (2025)
- Ores and metals exports 3.2% (2025)
- Gas production 35.27 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 6,765 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 35.27 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 6,765 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gas production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fossil fuel consumption per person in New Zealand?
- Fossil fuel consumption per person in New Zealand was 24,629 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources β with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fossil fuel consumption per person recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 39,356 kilowatt-hours per person in 2001.
- What is the lowest fossil fuel consumption per person recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 19,635 kilowatt-hours per person in 1965.
- How does New Zealand rank for fossil fuel consumption per person?
- New Zealand ranks 61st out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is fossil fuel consumption per person rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fossil fuel consumption per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and gas.