Lakes and rivers permanent water area in New Zealand
New Zealand: Lakes and rivers permanent water area was 3,294 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Lakes and rivers permanent water area in New Zealand, 2000–2022
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lakes and rivers permanent water area in New Zealand is 3,294, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lakes and rivers permanent water area in New Zealand peaked at 3,305 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 648.21, in 2000.
That places New Zealand 33rd out of 219 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Lakes and rivers permanent water area in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 648.21 | — |
| 2001 | 1,307 | +101.6% |
| 2002 | 1,965 | +50.4% |
| 2003 | 2,627 | +33.7% |
| 2004 | 3,281 | +24.9% |
| 2005 | 3,305 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 3,300 | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 3,297 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 3,279 | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 3,273 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 3,258 | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 3,259 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 3,269 | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 3,280 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 3,291 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 3,296 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 3,285 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 3,274 | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 3,272 | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 3,274 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 3,266 | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 3,286 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 3,294 | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2,628 | 648.21 | 3,305 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,276 | 3,258 | 3,296 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,282 | 3,266 | 3,294 | 3 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More environment data for New Zealand
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.2131 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.69 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.379 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.23 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 15.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.0722 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 4.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lakes and rivers permanent water area in New Zealand?
- Lakes and rivers permanent water area in New Zealand was 3,294 in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest lakes and rivers permanent water area recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 3,305 in 2005.
- What is the lowest lakes and rivers permanent water area recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 648.21 in 2000.
- How does New Zealand rank for lakes and rivers permanent water area?
- New Zealand ranks 33rd out of 219 countries with data for 2022.
- Is lakes and rivers permanent water area rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Lakes and rivers permanent water area (square kilometres). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).