Primary energy use by source in New Zealand
New Zealand: Primary energy use by source was 12.03 terawatt-hours in 2025. ▲ Rising
Primary energy use by source in New Zealand, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary energy use by source in New Zealand is 12.03 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 18.3% on the previous year and down 27.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use by source in New Zealand peaked at 26.43 terawatt-hours in 2005 and was at its lowest, 11.39 terawatt-hours, in 2023.
New Zealand ranks 49th of 78 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 | 17.42 terawatt-hours | 15.99 terawatt-hours | 19.13 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 15.79 terawatt-hours | 13.25 terawatt-hours | 17.44 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.59 terawatt-hours | 12.15 terawatt-hours | 14.75 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.83 terawatt-hours | 13.25 terawatt-hours | 14.62 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.69 terawatt-hours | 12.86 terawatt-hours | 26.43 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.43 terawatt-hours | 13.8 terawatt-hours | 20.27 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.17 terawatt-hours | 11.39 terawatt-hours | 18.39 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 by source in New Zealand?
- Primary energy use by source in New Zealand was 12.03 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use by source recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 26.43 terawatt-hours in 2005.
- What is the lowest primary energy use by source recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.39 terawatt-hours in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for primary energy use by source?
- New Zealand ranks 49th out of 78 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary energy use by source rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.8%. 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) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use by source. 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.