Ores and metals exports in New Zealand
New Zealand: Ores and metals exports was 3.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ores and metals exports in New Zealand, 1964–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 3.2% for ores and metals exports in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ores and metals exports in New Zealand peaked at 6.5% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1964.
That places New Zealand 90th out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 62 years of available data.
Ores and metals exports in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 0.2% | — |
| 1965 | 0.3% | +12.5% |
| 1966 | 0.5% | +104.0% |
| 1967 | 0.5% | -10.9% |
| 1968 | 0.6% | +24.9% |
| 1969 | 0.6% | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 0.6% | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 0.5% | -13.9% |
| 1972 | 2.0% | +290.8% |
| 1973 | 2.5% | +22.5% |
| 1974 | 3.2% | +27.2% |
| 1975 | 4.1% | +28.4% |
| 1976 | 4.1% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 4.4% | +6.9% |
| 1978 | 5.0% | +14.1% |
| 1979 | 4.1% | -18.4% |
| 1980 | 4.4% | +7.6% |
| 1981 | 4.1% | -6.0% |
| 1982 | 4.5% | +9.6% |
| 1983 | 5.7% | +25.6% |
| 1984 | 6.0% | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 5.3% | -10.3% |
| 1986 | 5.0% | -6.8% |
| 1987 | 5.5% | +9.8% |
| 1988 | 6.4% | +16.3% |
| 1989 | 6.5% | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 5.6% | -12.6% |
| 1991 | 5.1% | -9.8% |
| 1992 | 4.6% | -10.6% |
| 1993 | 4.2% | -6.9% |
| 1994 | 4.3% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 5.0% | +15.5% |
| 1996 | 4.3% | -12.8% |
| 1997 | 4.7% | +9.4% |
| 1998 | 4.9% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 4.6% | -5.7% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | +5.9% |
| 2001 | 4.3% | -11.8% |
| 2002 | 4.1% | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 3.8% | -8.1% |
| 2004 | 4.0% | +5.3% |
| 2005 | 4.3% | +8.2% |
| 2006 | 5.4% | +24.8% |
| 2007 | 5.3% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 4.5% | -15.2% |
| 2009 | 3.3% | -25.2% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | +25.2% |
| 2011 | 4.0% | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 3.6% | -10.3% |
| 2013 | 3.3% | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 3.0% | -6.9% |
| 2015 | 3.1% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 3.1% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 3.0% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 3.0% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | -11.0% |
| 2020 | 2.5% | -8.3% |
| 2021 | 3.2% | +31.3% |
| 2022 | 3.2% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 3.3% | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 3.3% | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 3.2% | -1.9% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 3.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.7%, 1.2× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 3.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.4%, 1.4× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Ores and metals exports in New Zealand changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | +290.8% | 0.5% | 2.0% |
| 1966 | +104.0% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 6 |
| 1970s | 3.0% | 0.5% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.3% | 4.1% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.7% | 4.2% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.4% | 3.3% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.3% | 2.7% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 2.5% | 3.3% | 6 |
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)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 12.0% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 2.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ores and metals exports in New Zealand?
- Ores and metals exports in New Zealand was 3.2% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest ores and metals exports recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 1989.
- What is the lowest ores and metals exports recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1964.
- How does New Zealand rank for ores and metals exports?
- New Zealand ranks 90th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ores and metals exports rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Ores and metals exports (% of merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 62 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Ores and metals comprise the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 27 (crude fertilizer, minerals nes); 28 (metalliferous ores, scrap); and 68 (non-ferrous metals). Exports of services are services provided by residents to non-residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise exports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.