Key Stats
| Category | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Continent: | Pacific |
| Capital: | Wellington |
| Population: | 5,269,939 |
| % Urban: | 86.8 % |
| Population Under 15 Yrs: | 19.6 % |
| Official Language: | English, Maori. Samoan widely spoken |
| Languages: | 22 |
| Literacy Rate: | 99 % |
| Life Expectancy: | 82.5 yrs (19/236) |
| HDI Ranking: | 13 / 189 |
| % Christian: | 53.2 % |
| % Evangelical: | 18.2 % |
| Largest Religion: | Christian |
| % Largest Religion: | 53.2 % |
| People Groups: | 92 |
| Least Reached People Groups: | 28 |
| % Unevangelized: | 3 % |
New Zealand
Christianity is on a precipitous decline in New Zealand (37% in the 2018 census). The largest group is now “no religion” at 48%. New Age spirituality focuses on individualism and nature, and attracts many Kiwis (New Zealanders) who feel disappointed by the Church. But 24/7 prayer rooms and other recent prayer groups prove that God still moves in the Kiwi Church! The recent decline is more a case of the pruning of nominal Christianity – what remains is much more alive. Praise God for new growth in charismatic and Pentecostal groups, and new evangelical movements in mainline denominations. Pray that God will pour His Holy Spirit into the Church and draw back the many who have left.
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Content taken or adapted from Operation World, 7th Edition (2010) and Pray for the World (2015). Both books are published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.