New Zealand vs Australia: population pyramids in 1955
New ZealandAustralia
Each bar is the share of the total population at that single year of age (men left, women right), so countries of different sizes can be compared.
New Zealand and Australia compared
In 1955, New Zealand has a population of 2.1 million and Australia 9.1 million; Australia is about 4.3 times the size of New Zealand.
The share aged 65 and over is 9.1% in New Zealand and 8.4% in Australia, 0.7 points higher in New Zealand. The median age is 28.8 years in New Zealand and 30.2 years in Australia.
The total fertility rate is 3.88 in New Zealand and 3.27 in Australia, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 70.5 years in New Zealand and 70.2 years in Australia.
By 2050, the population of New Zealand is projected to grow by 171.4% and that of Australia to grow by 256.0% compared with 1955.
GDP per person is $50K in New Zealand (2025) and $65K in Australia (2025).
Key figures (1955)
| New Zealand | Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2.1 million | 9.1 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 31.1% | 28.8% |
| Aged 15–64 | 59.8% | 62.8% |
| Aged 65+ | 9.1% | 8.4% |
| Median age | 28.8 yrs | 30.2 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 15.2 | 13.3 |
| Total fertility rate | 3.88 | 3.27 |
| Life expectancy | 70.5 yrs | 70.2 yrs |
| Population growth | +2.05% | +2.38% |
| Net migration (per year) | +7,768 | +94,986 |
| GDP | $264B (2025) | $1.8T (2025) |
| GDP per person | $50K (2025) | $65K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 5.1% (2025) | 4.1% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.