---
title: "New Zealand vs Nigeria — area, population, currency"
description: "New Zealand is 268,838 km² with 5,324,700 people; Nigeria is 923,768 km² with 237,527,782. Area, density, currency, languages and time zones side by side."
url: https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/new-zealand-vs-nigeria/
site: "At One Place"
---

# New Zealand vs Nigeria

**New Zealand vs Nigeria: Nigeria is larger; Nigeria has more people**

268,838 km² vs 923,768 km² · 5,324,700 vs 237,527,782

Nigeria is 3.4 times larger than New Zealand — 923,768 against 268,838 km². Nigeria is 45 times more populous than New Zealand — 237,527,782 against 5,324,700 people.

## Side by side

|  | New Zealand | Nigeria |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Capital | Wellington | Abuja |
| Area | 268,838 km² | 923,768 km² |
| Population | 5,324,700 (2025) | 237,527,782 (2025) |
| Density | 19.8 /km² | 257.1 /km² |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD) | Nigerian naira (NGN) |
| Official languages | English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language | English |
| Time zones | UTC+12:00, UTC+12:45 | UTC+01:00 |
| Calling code | +64 | +234 |
| Drives on the | left | right |
| Continent | Oceania | Africa |
| ISO codes | NZ / NZL | NG / NGA |

## Population density

Nigeria is 13 times more densely populated than New Zealand — 257 against 20 people per km². Density is where area and population interact, and it often reverses the impression the headline figures give — a large country with a small population can feel emptier than a small crowded one by an enormous margin.

## Practical differences

- They drive on opposite sides — New Zealand on the left, Nigeria on the right.
- Different currencies: the New Zealand dollar and the Nigerian naira.
- New Zealand spans 2 time zones, so "local time" there is not a single answer.
- Different continents — Oceania and Africa.

## New Zealand

Two main islands and around 600 smaller ones, roughly 1,600 km long. New Zealand broke away from Gondwana about 80 million years ago and had no land mammals except bats until people arrived, which is why so many of its birds are flightless. The Southern Alps run most of the South Island and reach 3,724 m at Aoraki / Mount Cook.

## Nigeria

The most populous country in Africa, with roughly one African in six. The Niger Delta is the largest river delta in Africa at about 70,000 km², a maze of creeks and mangrove covering an area the size of Ireland.

> Neutral facts only. Nothing here addresses politics, government, economics or which country is preferable in any respect — population is the one figure that dates, and it carries its year.

## Common questions

### Is New Zealand bigger than Nigeria?

Nigeria is larger — 923,768 km² against 268,838 km².

### Which has more people, New Zealand or Nigeria?

Nigeria, with 237,527,782 against 5,324,700.

### What is the time difference between New Zealand and Nigeria?

New Zealand is UTC+12:00, UTC+12:45 and Nigeria is UTC+01:00. Daylight saving shifts the gap during the year in places that observe it.

## Related pages

- [New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country/new-zealand/)
- [Nigeria](https://atoneplace.net/country/nigeria/)
- [India vs New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/india-vs-new-zealand/)
- [India vs Nigeria](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/india-vs-nigeria/)
- [China vs New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/china-vs-new-zealand/)
- [China vs Nigeria](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/china-vs-nigeria/)
- [Japan vs New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/japan-vs-new-zealand/)
- [Japan vs Nigeria](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/japan-vs-nigeria/)
- [Canada vs New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/canada-vs-new-zealand/)
- [Canada vs Nigeria](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/canada-vs-nigeria/)
- [Australia vs New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/australia-vs-new-zealand/)
- [Australia vs Nigeria](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/australia-vs-nigeria/)
- [New Zealand vs United States](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/new-zealand-vs-united-states/)
- [New Zealand vs United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/new-zealand-vs-united-kingdom/)

## Sources

- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/) [Public domain (US Government)]
- World Bank Open Data — The World Bank (https://data.worldbank.org/) [CC BY 4.0]