Real size
How big is New Zealand really?
267,000 km²
103,000 sq mi · 75th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Gabon
Normal web maps draw it 1.8× too big
New Zealand covers 267,000 km² (103,000 sq mi), about the size of Gabon. A normal web map draws it about 1.8 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 42°S), and those maps stretch land more the closer it gets to the South Pole.
Measured from our map outlines, so official figures can differ by a few percent. Ranks count the 167 countries and territories on these pages: those over 5,000 km², not counting disputed territories.
- Real area
- 267,000 km²
- Size rank
- 75th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.8× too big
- Latitude
- 42°S
Countries about the same size
- GabonAbout the same size
- Burkina FasoAbout the same size
- EcuadorAbout the same size
- PhilippinesThe Philippines is 1.1 times the size of New Zealand
- GuineaNew Zealand is 1.1 times the size of Guinea
New Zealand through history
Borders here have moved many times. Step through our maps, from 2000 BCE to today, to see who ruled this land before, and how big their realms really were.
Open the history map →Browse the eras →
Common questions
- How big is New Zealand?
- New Zealand covers about 267,000 km² (103,000 sq mi). It is the 75th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does New Zealand look so big on maps?
- Most web maps use the Mercator projection, which keeps shapes right but stretches area more and more toward the poles. Averaged over the whole country, it draws New Zealand about 1.8 times too big.
- Is New Zealand bigger than Gabon?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is New Zealand bigger than Burkina Faso?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.