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New Zealand

Oceania

To which language should you translate to localize in New Zealand?

LANGUAGE INSIGHT

Official language

English (72.6%; 3.79 mln), Te Reo Māori (3.5%; 182k) and New Zealand Sign Language

Actual languages

English (72.6%; 3.79 mln), Te Reo Māori (3.5%; 182k), Chinese (2.2%; 114k), Samoan (2.0%; 104k), Hindi (1.6%; 83k), French (1.2%; 62k), other (16.9%; 882k)

What the top 150 best localized websites in the world do in New Zealand

(Top 150 websites listed in the Global by Design ranking – published annually by Byte Level Research, this report provides a list of globally localized websites, showcasing best practices and emerging trends in their globalization)

  • 129/150 localize by translating into English
  • 1/150 localizes by translating into English, Samoan, Samoan Sign Language, Niuean, Te Reo Maori and New Zealand Sign Language
  • 1/150 localizes by translating into English, Samoan Niuean and Te Reo Maori
  • 1/150 localizes by translating into English and Simplified Chinese
  • 1/150 localizes by translating into English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean
  • 1/150 localizes by translating into both English and French
  • 1/150 localizes by translating into English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Swedish, Polish, Arabic, Czech, Hungarian, and Dutch
  • 1/150 localizes by translating into English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Bahasa Indonesia, Turkish, Thai and Ukrainian
  • Localization available 3M
  • Localization available ABB
  • Localization available Accenture
  • Localization available Adidas
  • Localization available Adobe
  • Localization available Airbnb
  • Localization not available Aldi
  • Localization available Amazon
  • Localization available American Airlines
  • Localization available American Express
  • Localization available Apple
  • Localization available Audi
  • Localization available Autodesk
  • Localization available Avis
  • Localization available Bayer
  • Localization available BMW
  • Localization available Booking.com
  • Localization available Bosch
  • Localization available British Airways
  • Localization available Bumble
  • Localization available Burberry
  • Localization available BYD
  • Localization available Canon
  • Localization available Capgemini
  • Localization not available Cartier
  • Localization available Caterpillar
  • Localization not available Chevrolet
  • Localization available Cisco Systems
  • Localization available Citibank
  • Localization available Coca-Cola
  • Localization available Costco
  • Localization available Dell
  • Localization available Deloitte
  • Localization available Delta
  • Localization available DHL
  • Localization available Disney+
  • Localization available Dyson
  • Localization available eBay
  • Localization available Eli Lilly
  • Localization available Emirates
  • Localization available Ernst & Young
  • Localization available Facebook
  • Localization available FedEx
  • Localization available Ford
  • Localization available Four Seasons
  • Localization available Fujifilm
  • Localization available GE
  • Localization available Gillette
  • Localization available GoDaddy
  • Localization available Google
  • Localization available Gucci
  • Localization available Haier
  • Localization available Heineken
  • Localization not available Hermès
  • Localization available Hertz
  • Localization available Hilton
  • Localization not available Hisense
  • Localization available Hitachi
  • Localization available Honda
  • Localization available Hotels.com
  • Localization available HP
  • Localization available HP Enterprise
  • Localization not available HSBC
  • Localization available Huawei
  • Localization available Hyatt
  • Localization available Hyundai
  • Localization not available IBM
  • Localization available IKEA
  • Localization available Intel
  • Localization available InterContinental Hotels
  • Localization not available J&J
  • Localization not available Jack Daniel's
  • Localization available Jehovah’s Witnesses
  • Localization available John Deere
  • Localization available Kellogg's
  • Localization available Kia
  • Localization available KPMG
  • Localization available LOréal
  • Localization available Land Rover
  • Localization available LEGO
  • Localization available Lenovo
  • Localization available Lexus
  • Localization available LG
  • Localization available Louis Vuitton
  • Localization available Lululemon
  • Localization available LUSH
  • Localization available Marriott
  • Localization available MasterCard
  • Localization available McDonald's
  • Localization available Mercedes-Benz
  • Localization available Merck
  • Localization available Microsoft
  • Localization available Mitsubishi Electric
  • Localization available Nestlé
  • Localization available Netflix
  • Localization available Nike
  • Localization available Nikon
  • Localization available Nintendo
  • Localization not available Nio
  • Localization available Nissan
  • Localization available NIVEA
  • Localization available Oracle
  • Localization not available Pampers
  • Localization available Panasonic
  • Localization available PayPal
  • Localization available Pepsi
  • Localization available Pfizer
  • Localization available Philips
  • Localization available Pitney Bowes
  • Localization available Porsche
  • Localization available Procter & Gamble
  • Localization available PWC
  • Localization available Revolut
  • Localization available Rolex
  • Localization available Royal Caribbean
  • Localization available Salesforce
  • Localization available Samsung
  • Localization available Sanofi
  • Localization available SAP
  • Localization available Sephora
  • Localization available Shopify
  • Localization not available Siemens
  • Localization available Sony
  • Localization available Spotify
  • Localization available Starbucks
  • Localization available Steelcase
  • Localization available Stripe
  • Localization available Subaru
  • Localization available Tesla
  • Localization available The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • Localization not available Tiffany
  • Localization available Tinder
  • Localization available Toshiba
  • Localization available Toyota
  • Localization available TripAdvisor
  • Localization available Uber
  • Localization available United Airlines
  • Localization available UPS
  • Localization available Visa
  • Localization available Volkswagen
  • Localization available Volvo Cars
  • Localization available Vrbo
  • Localization not available Walmart
  • Localization available Western Union
  • Localization available Wikipedia
  • Localization available Wise
  • Localization available WordPress
  • Localization available Workday
  • Localization not available Xerox
  • Localization not available Xiaomi (Mi)
  • Localization available Zara
  • Localization available Zoom
Available in

If you need others information, below you can find a selection of economic/social/cultural data

Overview


Language

Official language
English (72.6%), Te Reo Māori (3.5%) and New Zealand Sign Language

T-index
0.24%

T-Index ranks countries according to their potential for online sales.

Other languages
Chinese (2.2%), Samoan (2.0%), Hindi (1.6%), French (1.2%), other (16.9%)

Demography

Capital: Wellington
Currency: New Zealand dollar
Population: 5.223 mln (2023) 
Population density: 20/km2

Economy

GDP: 253.5 billion USD (2023)
GDP per capita: 48,527.83 USD ‎(2023) ‎
Exports: $46.5 billion (2022)

Statistics

Internet users: 95.7% penetration, 5.03 million
Unemployment rate: 4.8% (2022)
Urbanisation: 86.98% (2023)
Literacy: 99% (2018)

Conventions

Numbering system
Arabic numerals with dot as decimal separator, comma as thousands separator

Date format: dd-mm-yyyy
Time: 24h time system
Country code: 0064

Language data sources: Worldatlas/Britannica//EF/Wikipedia; Demography data sources: IMF/Worldometers; Conventions data source: Wikipedia; Economy data sources: WTO/OEC/CIA/Esomar/Datareportal; Statistics data sources: Datareportal/WorldBank/UN/UNESCO/CEIC/IMF/Culturalatlas/Commisceoglobal/Worlddata.info

Facts and data


Economy

Imports
$51.5 billion (2022).  Refined Petroleum ($5.4B), Cars ($3.94B), Delivery Trucks ($1.32B), Gas Turbines ($1.28B), and Broadcasting Equipment ($1.2B), importing mostly from China ($11B), Australia ($7.3B), United States ($3.96B), South Korea ($3.45B), and Singapore ($3.3B).

Financial inclusion factors (over 15 years of  age)
• 98.8% have an account with a financial institution
• 57.2% have a credit card
• 80% make online purchases

Ease of doing business
It is extremely easy to conduct business (rated 86.8 out of 100) ranked 1st out of 34 OECD high income countries, ranked 1st out of 190 countries worldwide (2023, World Bank).

Exports
$46.5 billion (2022). Concentrated Milk ($6.99B), Sheep and Goat Meat ($2.79B), Butter ($2.78B), Frozen Bovine Meat ($2.71B), and Rough Wood ($2.3B), exporting mostly to China ($13.1B), Australia ($5.35B), United States ($5.07B), Japan ($2.75B), and South Korea ($1.69B).
In 2022, New Zealand was the world’s biggest exporter of Concentrated Milk ($6.99B), Butter ($2.78B), Rough Wood ($2.3B), Casein ($1.18B), and Honey ($273M).

Economic freedom
‘Free’ (77.8 out of 100) ranked 3rd out of 39 Asia-Pacific countries, ranked 6th out of 184 countries worldwide (2023, Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal)

Global Innovation Index
Ranked 7th out of 16 South-East, East Asia and Oceanian countries, 27th out of 132 worldwide.

The Global Innovation Index captures the innovation
ecosystem performance of 132 economies and tracks the most recent global innovation trends.

Economy data sources: WTO/OEC/CIA/Esomar/Datareportal


Service Imports (2019)
Service Exports (2019)

Source: OEC

Trade balance of goods from 2013 to 2023

Source: Statista

Historical Data Trade Imports (2019)

The following section uses historical trade data imports from partners of New Zealand.

Historical Data Trade Exports (2019)

The following section uses historical trade data exports from partners of New Zealand.

Source: OEC

The Top Export Opportunities for New Zealand by Relatedness

Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product by showing only products that New Zealand is not specialized in.

New Zealand's Most Complex Exports

The Product Complexity Index (PCI) measures the knowledge intensity of a product by considering the knowledge intensity of its exporters.

Source: OEC

New Zealand's Most Specialized Products

Specialization is measured using Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), an index that takes the ratio between New Zealand observed and expected exports in each product.

Source: OEC

Which attributes do you associate with products made in New Zealand?

Source: Statista

Market Growth Imports (2019)

This score represents the likelihood that the given country will start importing that product in the next few years. It forecasts the opening of a new specific market.

Market Growth Exports (2019)

This score represents the likelihood that the given country will start exporting that product in the next few years. It forecasts the opening of a new specific market.

Source: OEC

Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP)

Source: WorldBank

Distribution of online payment methods in New Zealand in the first decade of the 20th century

Source: eShopWorld; Statista


T-index

T-index

Reach most of the online purchasing power

T-Index ranks countries according to their potential for online sales. It estimates the market share of each country in relation to global e-commerce.

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Media

Media language
English

Information channels
Broadcasters enjoy one of the world’s most liberal media arenas. The broadcasting sector was deregulated in 1988, when the government allowed competition to the state-owned Television New Zealand (TVNZ). Privately-owned TV3 is TVNZ’s main competitor. Satellite platform SKY TV is the leading pay TV provider. Freeview carries free-to-air digital terrestrial and satellite TV. The New Zealand Herald newspaper has the largest circulation. Australia’s media scene is creatively, technologically and economically advanced. There is a tradition of public broadcasting, but privately-owned TV and radio have the biggest audiences.

The ownership of print and broadcast media is concentrated. Leading conglomerates include News Corp Australia, Seven West Media and the merged Fairfax Media-Nine Entertainment group.

Television

Television New Zealand (TVNZ) – state-owned, operates TV One, entertainment-based TV 2, digital services TVNZ 6 and TVNZ 7
TV 3 – private network
Prime TV – private network
Sky TV – pay-TV operator
Maori Television – public

The press

New Zealand Herald – Auckland-based daily,
owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment
Dominion-Post – Wellington-based daily
The Press – Christchurch-based daily
The Sunday Star Times – Auckland-based weekly

Radio

Radio New Zealand – public broadcaster, operates Radio New Zealand National, Radio New Zealand Concert, AM Network
Radio New Zealand International – Radio New Zealand’s external service, targeting the South Pacific region
Niu FM – national government-funded station for New Zealand’s Pacific islander communities
RadioWorks – stations include More FM, The Edge
New Zealand Media and Entertainment – a New Zealand newspaper, radio and digital media business, radio stations include Newstalk ZB, Radio Hauraki
RBG – Rhema Broadcasting Group – operates Christian stations Rhema Radio, Southern Star Network and Life FM
Association of Community Access Broadcasters – chain of non-profit broadcasters

News agency

Scoop – private
Stuff – operated by Fairfax New Zealand

Media data source: BBC


Internet Data

Internet users
95.7% penetration, 5.03 million

Share of web traffic by device
42.43% mobile phones, 53.63% computers (laptops and desktops), 3.84% tablet devices, 0.10% other devices

Median speed of cellular mobile Internet connection
69.91 Mbps

Median speed of fixed Internet connection
162.50 Mbps

Mobile connection as a percentage of total population: 130.3%

Percentage of mobile connections that are broadband (3G-5G): 98.9%

Most popular web search engines
Google (93.01%), Bing (4.91%), Yahoo! (0.97%), DuckDuckGo (0.72%), Ecosia (0.13%), other (0.27%)

Most used social media
Facebook (63.17%), Pinterest (11.2%), Instagram (10.56%), Twitter (8.01%), Reddit (3.61%), YouTube (2.12%), LinkedIn (0.7%), other (0.61%).

Internet data sources: Datareportal/Statcounter


Social statistics

Life expectancy
83 yrs (2022)

CO2 emissions
6.16 metric tons per capita (2020)

Corruption perceptions Index
New Zealand scored 87 out of 100, ranked 2nd out of 180 countries worldwide.

Glass Ceiling Index
68.2 out 100, ranked 9th out of 29 countries.

The glass-ceiling index measures the environment for working women combining data on higher education, labor-force participation, pay, child-care costs, maternity and paternity rights, business-school applications, and representation in senior jobs.

Ethnicity
New Zealanders are very proud of their country and on the whole very accepting of other ethnicities.  You may hear (especially from the older generation) remarks that are not always positive when it comes to immigration.  Concerns about immigration seem to revolve around land ownership and overseas investments.  These concerns do not seem to transgress into the workplace.

Current health expenditure
10.05% of GDP (2021)

World Happiness Index
New Zealand ranked 10 out of 146 countries, with a score of 7.200.

Religion
New Zealanders are not overly religious.  The role of the church does not have any affect in the workplace. 

Class
There is no significant class system in the country. However, Aucklanders are sometimes looked on as being in a different class by small town residents.  There is sometimes a discrepancy between Pakeha (white) and Maori (native) incomes and ways of life.  In the workplace this does not seem to have any affect.

Gender
New Zealand was the first country to grant women the right to vote and it has also had two women Prime Ministers.  There is still room for the country to improve its gender equity given the continuing bias towards men in upper management.  However, the overall gender ethos respects men and women as equals in the workplace.

Cultural Curiosities
When in New Zealand, it is important to consider that the culture is a blend of Polynesian, Oceanic, and European influences, and to be sensitive to the Māori culture and its history, which has suffered the most due to colonization. 

Social statistics sources: WorldBank/UN/UNESCO/CEIC/IMF


The Data Factbook is a work in progress project. Our community is helping us to fill it up always with new and updated data. Your contribution is precious. If you want to help us, please write your advices at imminent@translated.com


Country Curiosities


The original indigenous name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, or “the land of the long white cloud.” It comes from the frequent sight of elongated white clouds gracing its horizon, a theme that echoes through traditional Māori tales. Fascinatingly, the country’s aerial view resembles a lengthy cloud, though perhaps by chance. In 2020, a debate ignited when the Māori Party suggested officially renaming New Zealand to Aotearoa, sparking discussions that bridge cultural significance and national identity.

Additionally…

  • Māori, alongside English and Sign Language, is an official language in New Zealand, where nearly 18% of the population is Māori.
  • New Zealand in order to promote cultural heritage, celebrates language-specific weeks, such as Māori Language Week, Samoan Language Week, and NZSL Week.
  • Kiwi encapsulates New Zealand’s essence: initially named for a flightless bird, then a beloved fruit, it now informally describes New Zealanders.
  • As the world’s top kiwifruit exporter, New Zealand garnered over $2.9 billion from this fruit in 2022.
  • New Zealand generates 80% of its electricity from renewable sources, aiming for full sustainability by 2030.
  • With open markets and low corruption, New Zealand ranked 6th in the 2024 Index of Economic Freedom.
  • Sam, the world’s first AI politician, launched in New Zealand in 2018 to engage citizens on political issues.
  • Dubbed the “other Hollywood,” New Zealand hosted blockbusters like The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and King Kong.
  • In 1893, New Zealand led the world by granting women the right to vote.
  • New Zealand boasts the town with the world’s longest name: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu.

Languages research


Languages spoken in New Zealand


The geographical distribution of languages that you will find in the maps published in this section is a work in progress. Our community is helping us to fill it up with always new and updated data. Your contribution is precious. If you want to help us, please write to imminent.factbook@translated.com


Photo credit: Dan Freeman, Unsplash