Photo: Karora derivative work: Inkey · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 11 of 18 · Country Index 2026
New Zealand: Risk & Resilience
How exposed is a country to crisis, and how ready is it to cope?
New Zealand is placed 26th of 193 countries on risk & resilience in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: World Risk Index 15.2 (2025); INFORM Risk Index 1.6 (2025).
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Risk & Resilience
26th
of 193 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 15.2World Risk Index, 2025WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)
- 1.6INFORM Risk Index, 2025INFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)
- 0.297Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN), 2024ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable)
- 85.05Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days, 2024Adults who could raise emergency funds within 30 days without great difficulty (% of population aged 15+)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place New Zealand on risk & resilience — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
World Risk Index
Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
15.2
WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)
Lower is better
New Zealand: 15.2. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 0.18 (Monaco) to 46.56 (Philippines); the world median is 4.17.
- World median
- 4.17
- Best in Australia and New Zealand
- 15.2 New Zealand
Key 2 of 4
INFORM Risk Index
European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
2026 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0 (via the European Commission's reuse policy)
1.6
INFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)
Lower is better
New Zealand: 1.6. Across the 191 countries in this edition, values run from 0.7 (Singapore) to 8.5 (South Sudan); the world median is 3.7.
- World median
- 3.7
- Best in Australia and New Zealand
- 1.6 New Zealand
Key 3 of 4
Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)
Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 Unported
0.297
ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable)
Lower is better
Ranked 6th of 190 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame
New Zealand: 0.297. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 0.263 (Norway) to 0.655 (Mauritania); the world median is 0.45.
- World median
- 0.45
- Best in Australia and New Zealand
- 0.297 New Zealand
Key 4 of 4
Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2021–2024 · New Zealand’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
85.05
Adults who could raise emergency funds within 30 days without great difficulty (% of population aged 15+)
Higher is better
New Zealand: 85.05. Across the 142 countries at their latest reading, values run from 16.49 (South Sudan) to 93.69 (Sweden); the world median is 53.85.
- World median
- 53.85
- Best in Australia and New Zealand
- 85.05 New Zealand
02Over time
Which way New Zealand is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
World Risk Index
WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk) · lower is better
New ZealandWorld median
New Zealand fell from 15.32 in 2000 to 15.2 in 2025; the world median went from 4.55 to 4.17.
Every year’s figures
Year New Zealand World median 2025 15.20 4.17 2024 15.20 4.17 2023 15.28 4.27 2022 14.98 4.08 2021 15.06 4.23 2020 14.64 4.12 2019 13.44 4.23 2018 13.30 4.14 2017 13.28 4.24 2016 11.95 4.23 2015 12.05 4.04 2014 12.32 4.07 2013 12.81 4.08 2012 14.77 4.07 2011 14.88 3.99 2010 14.95 3.86 2009 13.23 3.94 2008 12.92 4.11 2007 14.68 4.41 2006 14.06 4.51 2005 14.60 4.54 2004 14.38 4.42 2003 13.67 4.50 2002 13.44 4.65 2001 13.52 4.37 2000 15.32 4.55 INFORM Risk Index
INFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk) · lower is better
New ZealandWorld median
New Zealand rose from 1.4 in 2016 to 1.6 in 2025; the world median went from 3.6 to 3.7.
Every year’s figures
Year New Zealand World median 2025 1.6 3.7 2024 1.6 3.5 2023 1.5 3.6 2022 1.4 3.6 2021 1.4 3.6 2020 1.4 3.6 2019 1.4 3.6 2018 1.4 3.5 2017 1.4 3.5 2016 1.4 3.6 Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)
ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable) · lower is better
New ZealandWorld median
New Zealand fell from 0.307 in 2000 to 0.297 in 2024; the world median went from 0.476 to 0.45.
Every year’s figures
Year New Zealand World median 2024 0.29672 0.449649 2023 0.29456 0.449167 2022 0.29363 0.447422 2021 0.29412 0.447831 2020 0.29468 0.447902 2019 0.29503 0.447883 2018 0.29452 0.449652 2017 0.29471 0.450532 2016 0.29688 0.451843 2015 0.29422 0.451496 2014 0.29501 0.451502 2013 0.29650 0.454946 2012 0.29587 0.454269 2011 0.29483 0.458012 2010 0.29457 0.460715 2009 0.29662 0.464712 2008 0.29535 0.463801 2007 0.29884 0.466738 2006 0.30058 0.468701 2005 0.30080 0.470646 2004 0.30270 0.472029 2003 0.30352 0.471635 2002 0.30427 0.472031 2001 0.30471 0.476366 2000 0.30732 0.475585
03In context
New Zealand beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 193 countries on risk & resilience, never a place within the region.
New Zealand and Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 193; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | World Risk IndexWorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk) | INFORM Risk IndexINFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk) | Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable) | Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 DaysAdults who could raise emergency funds within 30 days without great difficulty (% of population aged 15+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 26th | 15.2 | 1.6 | 0.297 | 85.05 |
 Australiacompare | 38th | 21.9 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 84.48 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Australia and New Zealand
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 193.
- New Zealand26th
- Australia38th
Placed either side on risk & resilience
The countries immediately above and below New Zealand in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where New Zealand is ahead of the world, and behind
20 more statistics filed under risk & resilience, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median12
Statistics on which New Zealand does better than the middle country measured.
Children's Climate Risk IndexUNICEF · 2020 · world median 51.65No earlier reading
New Zealand: 1.6 · world median 5 · Children's Climate Risk Index (0–10, higher is more risk). UNICEF, 2021 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 8.7; lower is better.
Ranked 161st of 163 by UNICEF (1st = worst).
Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources per CapitaFAO · 2022 · world median 2,52864,3492,528No real change since 2012
New Zealand: 64,349 · world median 2,528 · Renewable internal freshwater (cubic metres per person). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 445,023; higher is better.
Position 9th of 181 · derived.
ND-GAIN Country IndexNotre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 2024 · world median 47.4466.2547.44▼ Worsened since 2014
New Zealand: 66.25 · world median 47.44 · ND-GAIN Index (0–100, where 100 is best placed to adapt). Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 26.42 to 71.85; higher is better.
Ranked 13th of 190 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame.
Climate Readiness (ND-GAIN)Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 2024 · world median 0.3870.6220.387▼ Worsened since 2014
New Zealand: 0.622 · world median 0.387 · ND-GAIN Readiness (0–1, where 1 is the most ready). Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.137 to 0.749; higher is better.
Ranked 21st of 192 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame.
Baseline Water Stress (Aqueduct)WRI · 2019 · world median 1.6630.0511.663No earlier reading
New Zealand: 0.051 · world median 1.663 · Baseline water stress score (0–5). World Resources Institute (WRI), 2023 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5; lower is better.
Political Stability and Absence of ViolenceWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 0.1711.1820.171▼ Worsened since 2015
New Zealand: 1.182 · world median 0.171 · Political Stability estimate (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.506 to 1.563; higher is better.
Position 31st of 211 · derived.
Days Above 35°CECMWF · 2025 · world median 3.4803.48No real change since 2015
New Zealand: 0 · world median 3.48 · Days a year with a maximum temperature above 35°C, averaged over the country’s land. World Bank Group (Climate Change Knowledge Portal), from Copernicus ERA5 (ECMWF), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 222.89; lower is better.
World Risk Poll Resilience IndexLloyd's Register Foundation · 2023 · world median 536353No earlier reading
New Zealand: 63 · world median 53 · Resilience Index, 0–100 (higher = more reported capacity to cope with a shock; the mean of individual, household, community and societal sub-indices). Lloyd's Register Foundation, 2024 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 29 to 74; higher is better.
Drought Risk (Aqueduct)WRI · 2019 · world median 2.6232.0762.623No earlier reading
New Zealand: 2.076 · world median 2.623 · Drought risk score (0–5). World Resources Institute (WRI), 2023 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.553 to 4.081; lower is better.
Ranked 107th of 138 by WRI (1st = worst).
Per Capita Food Supply VariabilityFAO · 2024 · world median 292229▲ Improved since 2014
New Zealand: 22 · world median 29 · Year-to-year variability of the food supply (kcal per person per day). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 4 to 227; lower is better.
Water StressFAO · 2023 · world median 108.0510▼ Worsened since 2013
New Zealand: 8.05 · world median 10 · Freshwater withdrawal as a share of available resources (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.03 to 3,851; lower is better.
Position 97th of 177 · derived, 1st = worst.
Riverine Flood Risk (Aqueduct)WRI · 2019 · world median 2.4032.3322.403No earlier reading
New Zealand: 2.332 · world median 2.403 · Riverine flood risk score (0–5). World Resources Institute (WRI), 2023 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5; lower is better.
Ranked 87th of 163 by WRI (1st = worst).
Behind the world median1
Statistics on which New Zealand does worse than the middle country measured.
Firms Whose Assets Were Damaged by Extreme WeatherWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 9.48519.479.485No earlier reading
New Zealand: 19.47 · world median 9.485 · Firms whose physical assets were damaged by extreme weather (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 59.21; lower is better.
Position 18th of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end7
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Asylum-Seekers by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,8364,5841,836Moved since 2015
New Zealand: 4,584 · world median 1,836 · Asylum-seekers awaiting a decision, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 3,718,945.
Population Living Below 5 m ElevationCenter for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University · 2015 · world median 2.9543.2882.954No real change since 1990
New Zealand: 3.288 · world median 2.954 · Population living below 5 m elevation (% of total population). Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University, 2015 edition, data for 2015.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 78.48.
Burned AreaGWIS · 2025 · world median 13,8243,41313,824Moved since 2015
New Zealand: 3,413 · world median 13,824 · Burned area (hectares). European Commission Joint Research Centre — Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 50,562,035.
Refugee Population by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 12,2692,14812,269Moved since 2015
New Zealand: 2,148 · world median 12,269 · Refugees under UNHCR's mandate hosted, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 2,655,191.
Temperature Change on LandFAO · 2025 · world median 1.4741.2251.474Moved since 2015
New Zealand: 1.225 · world median 1.474 · Change in mean land-surface temperature against the country's own 1951–1980 average, °C. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.34 to 3.294.
Refugees by Country of OriginUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,272581,272Moved since 2015
New Zealand: 58 · world median 1,272 · Refugees under UNHCR's mandate from this country, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5,224,131.
Stateless Persons by Country of ResidenceUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,314291,314Moved since 2019
New Zealand: 29 · world median 1,314 · Stateless persons reported under UNHCR's mandate, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 5 to 1,177,962.
No current reading for New Zealand
Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days (last 2021), Adults Who Experienced a Natural Disaster or Severe Weather, Global Report on Food Crises, INFORM Severity Index and Internally Displaced People of Concern to UNHCR. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Risk & Resilience among New Zealand’s 15 topics
Risk & Resilience is New Zealand’s 8th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Governance & Institutions2nd of 1944/4 keys
- Peace & Security5th of 1774/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties7th of 1984/4 keys
- Gender & Equality9th of 1834/4 keys
- Energy11th of 1653/3 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 16th of 1963/3 keys
- Work & Labour23rd of 1824/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience26th of 1934/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation29th of 1764/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade41st of 1774/4 keys
- Digital & Technology52nd of 1984/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing53rd of 2003/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge64th of 1983/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture60th of 1844/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability129th of 1863/4 keys
No standing on Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on risk & resilience
The three countries placed highest of 193, and the leaders New Zealand can most readily be measured against.
1
LiechtensteinWestern Europe
1st of 193 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Guido Radig,Inkey · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
2
LuxembourgWestern Europe
2nd of 193 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
DenmarkNorthern Europe
3rd of 193 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Oceania
New Zealand26th4/4 keys
Positions out of 193 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
New Zealand on risk & resilience: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does New Zealand rank on risk & resilience?
New Zealand is placed 26th of 193 countries on Risk & Resilience in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (World Risk Index, INFORM Risk Index, Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN) and Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest World Risk Index figure for New Zealand?
15.2 in 2025 (worldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)), according to Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum. The world median in the same edition was 4.17.
What is the latest INFORM Risk Index figure for New Zealand?
1.6 in 2025 (iNFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)), according to European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. The world median in the same edition was 3.7.
How have New Zealand’s risk & resilience figures changed?
World Risk Index fell from 15.32 in 2000 to 15.2 in 2025; INFORM Risk Index rose from 1.4 in 2016 to 1.6 in 2025; Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN) fell from 0.307 in 2000 to 0.297 in 2024.
Which risk & resilience statistics are missing for New Zealand?
No current reading is published for New Zealand on Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days, Adults Who Experienced a Natural Disaster or Severe Weather, Global Report on Food Crises, INFORM Severity Index and Internally Displaced People of Concern to UNHCR. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
This topic does not forecast when a disaster will strike, and it does not measure financial or economic risk. Water stress is measured under Environment & Sustainability. Displacement caused by disasters and the severity of crises already under way are published here as context.
How the Risk & Resilience standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The risk & resilience method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- World Risk Index — Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum, CC BY 4.0
- INFORM Risk Index — European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, CC BY 4.0 (via the European Commission's reuse policy)
- Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN) — Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, CC BY 3.0 Unported
- Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
The other 20 statistics on this page come from 10 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
New Zealand’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- New Zealand (banner) — Karora derivative work: Inkey, Public domain
- Liechtenstein — Guido Radig,Inkey, CC BY 3.0
- Luxembourg — Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Denmark — User:Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). New Zealand: Risk & Resilience — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/new-zealand/risk