New Zealand: Internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, New Zealand's internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) rose 400% on 2022 (from 2,800 to 14,000).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2022), the average change was +142.3% and a typical year strayed about 283.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 820% in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 84% in 2018. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 960.83 a year. A straight line explains 39% of the movement over 9 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, New Zealand had the 59th highest value of the 90 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to New Zealand in the 2023 ranking

• Ecuador — 56th of 90: 16,000
• Paraguay — 57th of 90: 16,000
• Russian Federation — 58th of 90: 15,000
• Papua New Guinea — 60th of 90: 13,000
• Argentina — 61st of 90: 9,800
• Haiti — 62nd of 90: 9,800

What this measures

Internally displaced persons are defined according to the 1998 Guiding Principles (http://www.internal-displacement.org/publications/1998/ocha-guiding-principles-on-internal-displacement) as people or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of armed conflict, or to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights, or natural or human-made disasters and who have not crossed an international border. "New Displacement" refers to the number of new cases or incidents of displacement recorded over the specified year, rather than the number of people displaced. This is done because people may have been displaced more than once.

Limitations: Please note that most of the figures are estimates. The definition highlights two issues: 1) The coercive or otherwise involuntary character of movement. The definition mentions some of the most common causes of involuntary movements, such as armed conflict, violence, human rights violations and disasters. These causes have in common that they give no choice to people but to leave their homes and deprive them of the most essential protection mechanisms, such as community networks, access to services, livelihoods. Displacement severely affects the physical, socio-economic and legal safety of people and should be systematically regarded as an indicator of potential vulnerability.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 13 values

Internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) in nearby economies

• Australia — 4,700 (2023)
• Cambodia — 46,000 (2023)
• China — 4.7 million (2023)
• Fiji — 6,700 (2023)
• Indonesia — 238,000 (2023)
• Japan — 8,600 (2023)
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 200 (2022)
• Korea, Rep.

More public sector data for New Zealand

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 2.86 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 4.91 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.1% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 200 million (2024)
• Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 17.87 billion (2024)
• Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 12.04% (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU) — 147.96 billion (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) — 34.25% (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (current LCU) — 39.13 billion (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is New Zealand's internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases)?

14,000 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2010?

It is up 5,500% from 250 in 2010 (36.29% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 14,000 in 2023 and the lowest 210 in 2013.

How does New Zealand rank?

59th highest of 90 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) unusual for New Zealand?

In 2023, New Zealand's internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) rose 400% on 2022 (from 2,800 to 14,000). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2022), the average change was +142.3% and a typical year strayed about 283.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator VC.IDP.NWDS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), uri: http://www.internal-displacement.org/ Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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