New Zealand’s Place In The World

Written by Stacey Shortall

Having studied, worked, and lived overseas, I know what it feels like to view New Zealand from the outside. To many, we are a small country at the bottom of the map - often overlooked, sometimes romanticised, occasionally underestimated.

But size is not the same as significance. What I’ve learned is that New Zealand’s place in the world is defined less by geography and more by values - by how we choose to act, what we choose to stand for, and how consistently we live those choices.

What We’re Known For

Around the world, New Zealand is admired for our clean environment, our sporting passion, and our cultural creativity. But more than that, we are remembered for fairness, pragmatism, and courage.

• In 1893, we became the first country in the world to give women the right to vote.

• In 1987, we enshrined our nuclear-free policy, even at the cost of defence ties with allies.

• In 2022, we ranked 2nd on the Global Peace Index out of 163 countries.

These moments remind us that, while our population is only 5.3 million, our voice can carry far beyond our borders.

The Challenges We Face

But living overseas also showed me where our reputation collides with reality.

• One in five New Zealand children lives in poverty - over 200,000 young lives beginning at a disadvantage.

• Māori make up 15% of the population but over 50% of the prison population.

• Pasifika communities face rates of household overcrowding two-three times higher than the general population.

Globally, we face reliance and vulnerability. Around 25% of New Zealand’s exports go to China. Rising geopolitical competition in the Pacific makes our independence both more visible and more contested.

Our reputation as a principled, independent voice will only remain credible if we live those values at home.

What the World Needs From Us

In a world grappling with division, climate shocks, and rising inequality, countries like New Zealand matter more than we think.

We bring perspective. We bring pragmatism. We bring an example - or at least the possibility - of how fairness, democracy, and diversity can be woven into national identity.

But the world also watches. If we claim leadership on climate but miss our 2030 emissions targets, or speak of fairness while tolerating child poverty, our credibility weakens. Our voice is strongest when backed by action.

Why It Matters

When I speak overseas about the community work we do in New Zealand - with mothers in prison, with children in Homework Clubs, with charities through HelpTank - people are inspired. Not because the problems are unique to us, but because the willingness of ordinary New Zealanders to step up resonates universally.

That, I believe, is New Zealand’s true place in the world: as a country that shows what’s possible when fairness and community guide action. Not perfect, not without challenges, but striving to align values with reality.

A Call to Action

Our size is not a weakness. It is a chance to be nimble, principled, and bold. New Zealand’s place in the world will always be greater than the sum of its population if we choose to lead with integrity - at home as well as abroad.

Because in the end, the world doesn’t just need to hear what we say. It needs to see what we do.