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Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes (but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder), broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita income has risen for eight consecutive years and was more than $25,500 in 2006 in purchasing power parity terms. Consumer and government spending have driven growth in recent years, and exports picked up in 2006 after struggling for several years. Exports are equal to about 28% of GDP, down from 33 percent of GDP in 2001. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $106 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $98.77 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $26,000 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 26.9%
services: 68.8% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 2.18 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10%
industry: 25%
services: 65% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 3.8% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA (1991 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 36.2 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 22% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget: revenues: $41.51 billion
expenditures: $36.99 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt: 19.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish
Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Industrial production growth rate: 1.2% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production: 41.1 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 31.6%
hydro: 57.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 10.7% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 38.22 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production: 27,860 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: 150,600 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports: 30,220 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 119,700 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves: 89.62 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production: 4.35 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 4.349 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 33.36 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance: $-7.944 billion (2006 est.)
Exports: $23.69 billion (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities: dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery
Exports - partners: Australia 21.4%, US 14.1%, Japan 10.6%, China 5.1%, UK 4.7% (2005)
Imports: $25.23 billion (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics
Imports - partners: Australia 20.9%, US 11%, Japan 11%, China 10.9%, Germany 4.9% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $10 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external: $47 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, NA (2006 est.)
Currency (code): New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Currency code: NZD
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June |
Climate 
Economy 
