Statistics

New Zealand exported almost NZ$18 billion worth of goods to China (year to December 2024), close to double that of our next biggest export markets combined – the US (NZ$9.0 billion) and Australia (NZ$8.9 billion).

China remains our largest source of imported goods, at NZ$16.8 (year to December 2024), followed by Australia (NZ$8.7 billion), USA (NZ$8.1 billion), South Korea and Japan.

NZ supplies more than half the dairy products that China imports from the world. New Zealand also supplies a significant amount of the wood, meat and fruit that China imports.

Many of the goods that New Zealand imports are supplied primarily by China, such as clothing, toys and games and furniture.

Foreign investment from China, including Hong Kong reached $9.37b in 2024.  This is well below our largest investor Australia at $84.6b and slightly higher than the US ($9.28b).  Considering the size of the NZ-China trade relationship, people to people links and other connections, China’s FDI into New Zealand is low.

In 2023 China was the largest source economy for international students enrolled at NZ education institutions, at 23,907 students (35% of total enrolments). Sub-sector totals for Chinese students in 2023: universities 14,675, schools 4,271, Te Pūkenga 2,135, private training establishments (PTEs) 2023, English language schools 951.  India was the second largest source country at 11.5 per cent, Japan at 10 per cent.

Prior to COVID, China was New Zealand’s second largest source of tourists behind Australia. In December 2024 it ranked 3rd with 166,000 tourists (Australia 570,000, US 240,000).  Chinese tourist numbers rebounded by 93.5% year-on-year in 2024 (Australia and the US 12%).  Visitors from China spent the most per day ($368) followed by the US and Asia excluding China.

The number of secondary level students learning Chinese in New Zealand has increased slightly in 2023 but remains below the number studying French, Japanese and Spanish.

There has been a big increase in the number of primary level students learning Chinese in New Zealand in recent years, with nearly 65,000 primary students currently studying Chinese.