Ores and metals imports in New Zealand
New Zealand: Ores and metals imports was 2.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Ores and metals imports in New Zealand, 1964–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for ores and metals imports in New Zealand is 2.1%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 18.9% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ores and metals imports in New Zealand peaked at 7.4% in 1969 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2023.
New Zealand ranks 74th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 62 years of available data.
Ores and metals imports in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 5.9% | — |
| 1965 | 5.8% | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 6.8% | +17.6% |
| 1967 | 6.8% | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 6.8% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 7.4% | +9.2% |
| 1970 | 7.2% | -3.0% |
| 1971 | 5.7% | -21.1% |
| 1972 | 5.0% | -12.3% |
| 1973 | 5.1% | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 4.3% | -14.7% |
| 1975 | 4.8% | +10.1% |
| 1976 | 4.6% | -3.2% |
| 1977 | 4.3% | -5.8% |
| 1978 | 4.7% | +7.8% |
| 1979 | 4.2% | -10.8% |
| 1980 | 4.0% | -3.1% |
| 1981 | 3.5% | -13.5% |
| 1982 | 3.6% | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 3.7% | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 3.3% | -12.5% |
| 1985 | 3.2% | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 2.2% | -32.4% |
| 1987 | 2.3% | +7.3% |
| 1988 | 4.8% | +104.0% |
| 1989 | 4.4% | -8.2% |
| 1990 | 4.2% | -4.7% |
| 1991 | 4.1% | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 3.9% | -5.8% |
| 1993 | 4.0% | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 3.5% | -12.3% |
| 1995 | 3.5% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 3.3% | -6.7% |
| 1997 | 3.1% | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 3.6% | +15.2% |
| 1999 | 2.9% | -19.2% |
| 2000 | 3.1% | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 3.0% | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | -8.6% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | -10.0% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | -5.9% |
| 2006 | 2.8% | +20.3% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 3.5% | +29.4% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | -46.2% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | +41.8% |
| 2011 | 2.6% | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 2.3% | -12.1% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | -10.6% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | -7.7% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -10.6% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 2.0% | +11.5% |
| 2019 | 1.8% | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | +10.7% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | +8.8% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | -23.8% |
| 2024 | 1.8% | +6.1% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | +18.9% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 2.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.1%, 1.0× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 2.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.3%, 1.7× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Ores and metals imports 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | +104.0% | 2.3% | 4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.6% | 5.8% | 7.4% | 6 |
| 1970s | 5.0% | 4.2% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.5% | 2.2% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.6% | 2.9% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 1.9% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 71 Switzerland 2.2% compare
- 72 United Arab Emirates 2.2% compare
- 73 Jordan 2.2% compare
- 75 United States 2.1% compare
- 76 Kuwait 2.0% compare
- 77 Lithuania 2.0% compare
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 exports 3.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ores and metals imports in New Zealand?
- Ores and metals imports in New Zealand was 2.1% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest ores and metals imports recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 1969.
- What is the lowest ores and metals imports recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for ores and metals imports?
- New Zealand ranks 74th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ores and metals imports rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 imports (% of merchandise imports). 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). Imports of services are services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a 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.