Internet users as a percentage of the total population New Zealand 2015-2018

Premium-Statistic | The internet penetration rate in New Zealand is relatively high, following global trends of internet usage. Around 89 percent of the population in New Zealand were active internet users in 2018, a share that has remained consistent over the past few years.

Unlimited broadband, unlimited possibilities

New Zealanders require large amounts of data for their everyday living; from communicating via social media platforms, purchasing goods online as well as for entertainment. Supporting this massive data requirement, most of the broadband connections across the country had unlimited data caps in 2018. New Zealanders required not only large amounts of data, but also fast internet connections. Almost half of the broadband connections across the country had download speeds falling between 24 and 50 megabits per second in the same year.

Staying connected

Copper wire connections accounted for the largest share of connection types, with fiber optic following closely behind. Fiber optic connections have been increasing their share of the market since the government implemented the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) initiative in 2011. This program aimed to bring fiber network internet access to 87 percent of the population by 2022, a move that would support New Zealanders and New Zealand businesses in their fast-growing internet needs, allowing Kiwis to stay connected with the rest of the world.