Female population of New Zealand 1991-2023

In 2023, there were just over 2.6 million women living in New Zealand. This is an increase of around 53 thousand women from the previous year. There has been a steady increase in the number of women living in New Zealand since 1991.

Female population demographics

In a pattern mirroring that of the overall female population growth in New Zealand, the number of indigenous women dwelling there has tremendously increased with the number of Māori women in New Zealand exceeding 450 thousand residents in 2023. Women’s lifespans in New Zealand were expected to range between 79 and 90 years in 2023, with Chinese women figuring at the higher end of the spectrum and Māori women at the lower end. 

Work and family

Over the past three decades, women in New Zealand have been opting to get married later in life with the average age of females at their first marriage being 31.8 years in 2023. Child-bearing is another such life choice opted for later, with the highest birth rate being recorded among females aged 30 to 34 years old. Women accounted for a large share of the healthcare and social assistance industry, which had a workforce of over 200 thousand female employees.