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See also:
- 2020 citizenship numbers drop due to COVID-19 (25 March 2021)
- 2018 Citizenship statistics released (17 January 2019)
- Grants of Citizenship made under sections 9(1)(a), 9(1)(b), 9(1)(c) and 9(1)(d) (updated 27 March 2019)
- A complete set of data is at Country of birth for people granted New Zealand Citizenship (data.govt.nz)
Statistics for New Zealand Citizenship
January - December 2018
Between 1 January and 31 December 2018, 35,737 people were granted New Zealand citizenship.
The table below lists the top 10 previous countries of birth for people who became New Zealand citizens by grant during 2018
| Rank | Previous Country of Birth | Total granted | % of total applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Kingdom* | 5,471 | 15.3 |
| 2 | India | 4,845 | 13.6 |
| 3 | Samoa** | 3,185 | 8.9 |
| 4 | Philippines | 3,079 | 8.6 |
| 5 | South Africa | 2,691 | 7.5 |
| 6 | Fiji | 2,691 | 8.6 |
| 7 | China*** | 1,175 | 3.3 |
| 8 | Tonga | 848 | 2.1 |
| 9 | Australia | 767 | 2.1 |
| 10 | United States of America | 756 | 2.1 |
January - December 2017
Between 1 January and 21 December 2017, 36,450 people were granted New Zealand citizenship.
The table below lists the top 10 previous countries of birth for people who became New Zealand citizens by grant during 2017
| Rank | Previous Country of Birth | Total granted | % of total applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Kingdom* | 5,955 | 16.3 |
| 2 | India | 4,665 | 12.1 |
| 3 | Philippines | 3,565 | 9.8 |
| 4 | Fiji | 3,242 | 8.9 |
| 5 | Samoa** | 2,954 | 8.1 |
| 6 | South Africa | 2,894 | 7.9 |
| 7 | China*** | 1,314 | 3.6 |
| 8 | United States of America | 735 | 2.0 |
| 9 | Tonga | 684 | 1.9 |
| 10 = | Australia | 679 | 1.8 |
| 10 = | Sri Lanka | 679 | 1.8 |
* Includes data for United Kingdom, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Great Britain.
** Includes data for Samoa and Western Samoa
*** Includes data for China, Hong Kong, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Macau and Macao.
Summary deprivation volumes for public release
Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2021, a total of 15 people were deprived of their New Zealand citizenship.
The table below provides the number of applications considered for deprivation of New Zealand citizenship under the Citizenship Act 1977.
| Year Citizenship deprived | Number considered | Approved | Not approved |
| 2012 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | - | - | - |
| 2014 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2015 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 2016 | - | - | - |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | - | - | - |
| 2021 | - | - | - |
| Total | 15 | 15 | 0 |
Combined Citizenship by Grant figures from 1949-2017
Below are links to New Zealand Citizenship statistics from 1949 - 2016
Some documents on this website are in Adobe Acrobat (pdf). You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 6 or higher installed on your computer to view or download the form or brochure. You can download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from the Adobe site.Top 10 Country by Birth figures (1949 - 2016)
- Top 10 previous countries of birth 1949-2016 (doc 972kb)
- Top 10 previous countries of birth 1949-2016 (pdf 969kb)
Further information:
- Citizenship Grants (updated November 2021)
