Primary energy use in New Zealand
New Zealand: Primary energy use was 261.12 terawatt-hours in 2025. ▲ Rising
Primary energy use in New Zealand, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 261.12 terawatt-hours for primary energy use in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use in New Zealand peaked at 278.96 terawatt-hours in 2019 and was at its lowest, 75.27 terawatt-hours, in 1965.
That places New Zealand 60th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 | 78.69 terawatt-hours | 75.27 terawatt-hours | 81.81 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 103.18 terawatt-hours | 90.13 terawatt-hours | 113.82 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 124.13 terawatt-hours | 104.94 terawatt-hours | 147.83 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 175.05 terawatt-hours | 156.79 terawatt-hours | 194.75 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 208.35 terawatt-hours | 202.15 terawatt-hours | 218.69 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 257.11 terawatt-hours | 231.12 terawatt-hours | 278.96 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 255.37 terawatt-hours | 248.58 terawatt-hours | 261.12 terawatt-hours | 6 |
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)
- Fuel exports 0.9% (2025)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 6.7% (2024)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 56.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary energy use in New Zealand?
- Primary energy use in New Zealand was 261.12 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 278.96 terawatt-hours in 2019.
- What is the lowest primary energy use recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.27 terawatt-hours in 1965.
- How does New Zealand rank for primary energy use?
- New Zealand ranks 60th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary energy use rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. 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); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.