New Zealand vs Australia: population pyramids in 1981
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 1981, New Zealand has a population of 3.2 million and Australia 14.8 million; Australia is about 4.7 times the size of New Zealand.
The share aged 65 and over is 9.8% in New Zealand and 9.7% in Australia, almost the same. The median age is 28.0 years in New Zealand and 29.5 years in Australia.
The total fertility rate is 2.01 in New Zealand and 1.94 in Australia, both below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 73.6 years in New Zealand and 74.8 years in Australia.
By 2050, the population of New Zealand is projected to grow by 82.4% and that of Australia to grow by 118.4% compared with 1981.
GDP per person is $50K in New Zealand (2025) and $65K in Australia (2025).
Key figures (1981)
| New Zealand | Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3.2 million | 14.8 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 26.9% | 25.1% |
| Aged 15–64 | 63.3% | 65.2% |
| Aged 65+ | 9.8% | 9.7% |
| Median age | 28.0 yrs | 29.5 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 15.5 | 14.8 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.01 | 1.94 |
| Life expectancy | 73.6 yrs | 74.8 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.57% | +1.66% |
| Net migration (per year) | -7,606 | +121,921 |
| 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.