Oil reserves, per capita in New Zealand
New Zealand: Oil reserves, per capita was 1.28 cubic meters per person in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Oil reserves, per capita in New Zealand, 1980–2021
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in cubic meters per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for oil reserves, per capita in New Zealand is 1.28 cubic meters per person, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is down 5.5% on the previous year and down 68.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, oil reserves, per capita in New Zealand peaked at 9.51 cubic meters per person in 1991 and was at its lowest, 1.28 cubic meters per person, in 2021.
That places New Zealand 61st out of 201 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Oil reserves, per capita in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 5.62 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1981 | 8.8 cubic meters per person | +56.7% |
| 1982 | 8.6 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 1983 | 8.4 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 1984 | 8.38 cubic meters per person | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 7.59 cubic meters per person | -9.4% |
| 1986 | 8.62 cubic meters per person | +13.6% |
| 1987 | 8.11 cubic meters per person | -5.9% |
| 1988 | 7.75 cubic meters per person | -4.5% |
| 1989 | 8.8 cubic meters per person | +13.6% |
| 1990 | 6.97 cubic meters per person | -20.8% |
| 1991 | 9.51 cubic meters per person | +36.4% |
| 1992 | 7.66 cubic meters per person | -19.4% |
| 1993 | 7.55 cubic meters per person | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 6.85 cubic meters per person | -9.2% |
| 1995 | 5.91 cubic meters per person | -13.7% |
| 1996 | 4.43 cubic meters per person | -25.1% |
| 1997 | 5.68 cubic meters per person | +28.2% |
| 1998 | 6.05 cubic meters per person | +6.6% |
| 1999 | 5.26 cubic meters per person | -13.0% |
| 2000 | 5.23 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 5.2 cubic meters per person | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 3.61 cubic meters per person | -30.7% |
| 2003 | 7.49 cubic meters per person | +107.7% |
| 2004 | 2.12 cubic meters per person | -71.7% |
| 2005 | 1.98 cubic meters per person | -6.6% |
| 2006 | 2.01 cubic meters per person | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 1.99 cubic meters per person | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 2.05 cubic meters per person | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 2.22 cubic meters per person | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 2.19 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 4.08 cubic meters per person | +86.1% |
| 2012 | 3.47 cubic meters per person | -15.0% |
| 2013 | 2.91 cubic meters per person | -15.9% |
| 2014 | 2.76 cubic meters per person | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 2.32 cubic meters per person | -16.0% |
| 2016 | 2.16 cubic meters per person | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 1.88 cubic meters per person | -13.1% |
| 2018 | 1.9 cubic meters per person | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 1.55 cubic meters per person | -18.5% |
| 2020 | 1.36 cubic meters per person | -12.6% |
| 2021 | 1.28 cubic meters per person | -5.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.07 cubic meters per person | 5.62 cubic meters per person | 8.8 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.59 cubic meters per person | 4.43 cubic meters per person | 9.51 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.39 cubic meters per person | 1.98 cubic meters per person | 7.49 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.52 cubic meters per person | 1.55 cubic meters per person | 4.08 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.32 cubic meters per person | 1.28 cubic meters per person | 1.36 cubic meters per person | 2 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
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 oil reserves, per capita in New Zealand?
- Oil reserves, per capita in New Zealand was 1.28 cubic meters per person in 2021, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest oil reserves, per capita recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 9.51 cubic meters per person in 1991.
- What is the lowest oil reserves, per capita recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.28 cubic meters per person in 2021.
- How does New Zealand rank for oil reserves, per capita?
- New Zealand ranks 61st out of 201 countries with data for 2021.
- Is oil reserves, per capita rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Oil reserves, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Oil reserves divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Oil reserves ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Oil reserves U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Oil reserves divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.