New Zealand and Belarus
New Zealand suspended high-level political contact and military cooperation with Belarus in 2021. The measure responded to concerns about elections and human rights and was accompanied by travel restrictions, without necessarily implying a formal severance of diplomatic relations.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08Bilateral context
The New Zealand ministry dates the suspension of ministerial, defence and military contacts with Belarus to 2021.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between New Zealand and Belarus totalled 0.423 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, vehicles and components stands out in shipments from Belarus to New Zealand, at 0.104 million USD in 2025.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 0.423 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: New Zealand to Belarus | 0.133 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Belarus to New Zealand | 0.29 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: New Zealand to Belarus | ||
| Export share: Belarus to New Zealand | ||
| Investment stock: New Zealand in Belarus | ||
| Investment stock: Belarus in New Zealand |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter NZL. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
- Goods: New Zealand to Belarus
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter NZL. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
- Goods: Belarus to New Zealand
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter NZL. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | New Zealand | Belarus |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 264.06 billion USD2025 · WB | 93.4 billion USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP per capita | 49,591.04 USD2025 · WB | 10,279.25 USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP growth | 0.46 %2025 · WB | 1.3 %2025 · World Bank |
| Policy interest rate | ||
| Inflation · annual average | 2.84 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 6.6 %Annual average · 2025 · World Bank |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | ||
| Unemployment | 5.08 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 3.38 %ILO est.2025 · World Bank |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -3.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 0.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 54.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 33.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -3.62 %2025 · WB | -1.94 %2025 · World Bank |
| Population | 5,324,7002025 · WB | 9,085,9912025 · World Bank |
| Area | 267,710 km²2023 · WB | 207,629 km²2023 · World Bank |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDNew Zealand: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Belarus: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personNew Zealand: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Belarus: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)New Zealand: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Belarus: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)New Zealand: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Belarus: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency stated
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionNew Zealand: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Belarus: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)New Zealand: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.Belarus: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)New Zealand: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.Belarus: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPNew Zealand: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Belarus: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleNew Zealand: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Belarus: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date. Extrapolated assuming the same growth rate as the one between 2024 average population and 2025 January 1st population of National Statistical Committee website.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceNew Zealand: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Belarus: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
New Zealand to Belarus
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Belarus to New Zealand
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Vehicles and components | 0.104 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 0.00715 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 0.00635 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 0.00507 M USD2025 · Source |
How trade has changed
Millions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | New Zealand to Belarus | Belarus to New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13 | 0.835 | 12.1 |
| 2022 | 1.6 | 0.774 | 0.816 |
| 2023 | 1.5 | 0.982 | 0.472 |
| 2024 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.548 |
| 2025 | 0.423 | 0.133 | 0.29 |
Connections between people
It also imposed travel bans on selected individuals associated with Aleksandr Lukashenko’s regime. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from New Zealand living in Belarus | ||
| Residents from Belarus living in New Zealand | ||
| Study and training: New Zealand in Belarus | ||
| Study and training: Belarus in New Zealand | ||
| Academic stays: New Zealand in Belarus | ||
| Academic stays: Belarus in New Zealand | ||
| Travel: New Zealand to Belarus | ||
| Travel: Belarus to New Zealand |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for New Zealand is 264.1 billion USD (2025), compared with 93.4 for Belarus (2025). The reference populations are 5.32 and 9.09 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of New Zealand was 2.83 times that of Belarus in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Bilateral context
The New Zealand ministry dates the suspension of ministerial, defence and military contacts with Belarus to 2021. It links the decision to concerns about electoral fraud and human rights abuses following the 2020 elections. [1]
Cooperation and bilateral issues
It also imposed travel bans on selected individuals associated with Aleksandr Lukashenko’s regime. Wellington calls for freedom of expression, the right to peaceful protest and free, fair and transparent elections. Diplomatic representation is handled from New Zealand’s embassy in Moscow, while the Belarusian embassy in Tokyo is accredited to New Zealand. The page recalls a visit by envoy Jim Bolger to Minsk in April 2014, before the restrictions. This precedent does not indicate continued high-level contacts after 2021. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (New Zealand and Belarus) totalled 0.423 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 0.133 million; those in the opposite direction, 0.29 million. The difference between the two flows was 0.157 million, in favour of Belarus. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 13 million USD in 2021 and 0.423 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was -96.7 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2021, at 13 million. The chart allows the two directions to be compared to see whether they moved together or differently. The change combines quantities, prices and exchange rates; it is not automatically attributed to a treaty, a visit or a political decision. The same reporter is retained and missing years are not interpolated. [2]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, vehicles and components stands out in shipments from Belarus to New Zealand, at 0.104 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [3]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — NZL-BLR
www.mfat.govt.nz · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- UN Comtrade annual data; reused verified primary payload, not re-downloaded
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.