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Defence in New Zealand - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Andrew Ledovskikh Andrew Ledovskikh Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: February 2024 ANZSIC O7600NZ

Revenue

$4.6bn

2024-25

$4.9bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xm

Employees

15,018

Businesses

3

Wages

$X.Xbn

Defence in New Zealand industry analysis

National defence operates through the New Zealand Defence Force, or NZDF. The NZDF is a public entity that is funded through annual appropriations agreed on in Parliament. Funding includes ongoing crown expenses for the maintenance of existing forces and new capital expenditure under Vote Defence Force appropriations. The NZDF has received a climbing amount of funding from the New Zealand Government over recent years, with the government committing to procuring new materiel since the release of its Strategic Defence Policy Statement 2018. National defence revenue is expected to expand at an annualised 5.2% through the end of 2023-24, to $4.6 billion. This trend includes a dip of 2.6% in the current year.
While funding has been rising, the NZDF has faced multiple challenges over recent years. It has not met recruitment targets, with employment remaining largely stable. A tight labour market has reduced incentives to join the armed forces, which means that the New Zealand Army may struggle to raise personnel numbers to a target of 6,000 by 2035. The New Zealand Navy has also faced similar issues, with three ships having to be left indefinitely idle due to a lack of crew members. Meanwhile, the entire portfolio of naval assets needs to be replaced as they are ending their service life in the mid-2030s. These challenges and mounting strategic threats have led to multiple reviews of defence capabilities.
Government capital expenditure on defence is set to climb over the coming years. The current National government has promised a spike in spending amid a deteriorating security environment and to resolve the challenges the armed forces have faced over past few years. Even so, the current forecast for spending will only maintain recent rates of growth and may not be sufficient to address the challenges faced by the NZDF. Overall, industry revenue is forecast to rise at an annualised 5.5% over the five years through 2028-29. Recruitment incentives and new naval vessels will support higher spending.

Trends and Insights

  • The armed forces are facing severe personnel issues. A tight labour market, competitive private sector wages and low morale during the COVID-19 pandemic have all weighed on NZDF personnel numbers, leading to one-third of New Zealand naval assets sitting idle.
  • Major capital investments in aircraft replacements have driven up the share of funding allocated to the Air Force. New purchases have also boosted operational funding for the New Zealand Air Force.
  • Auckland’s airport and large population base make it a good location for military bases. Air bases can draw on infrastructure at the large international airport, while recruitment and training facilities benefit from proximity to a centralised population.
  • National defence involves no competition because it is a government division that is funded and operated by the government. Potential substitutes like Emergency Services New Zealand are also government-operated.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 5.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $4.6bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Greater capital expenditure on the NZDF has expanded national defence stocks

  • Published in 2018, the Strategic Defence Policy Statement set out government policies on the objectives of defence, aiming to increase investment in new military assets. The policy statement set the objectives for new investments in national military.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Defence in New Zealand
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Funding is weakening following several recent procurement initiatives

  • The government has rapidly expanded defence capital expenditure over recent years. Even so, some efforts like the Southern Ocean Patrol Vessel bid have been deferred due to the pandemic’s influence on the budget and navy personnel numbers.

Biggest companies in the Defence in New Zealand

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($short_0)
2024

There are no companies that hold a large enough market share in the Defence in New Zealand industry for IBISWorld to include in this product.

Products & Services Segmentation

Defence in New Zealand
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Army capabilities, Air Force capabilities and Navy capabilities. Army capabilities is the largest segment of the Defence in New Zealand.

Trends and Insights

Expanding Air Force capabilities have overcome pandemic-related constraints

  • With almost 2,500 regular and over 350 reserve personnel, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, RNZAF) is the air component of the NZDF. RNZAF provides surveillance, strategic and strategic airlift, and naval combat support.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The Defence industry represents the operations of the New Zealand Defence Force (Te Ope Katua o Aotearoa), or the NZDF, which is a public entity. The NZDF includes the New Zealand Army (Ngati Tumatauenga), Royal New Zealand Air Force (Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa) and the Royal New Zealand Navy (Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa). The industry excludes private firms that provide outsourced services for the New Zealand Defence Force.

What's included in this industry?

Army capabilitiesAir Force capabilitiesNavy capabilitiesSecurity capabilities

Companies

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

LITTORAL WARFAREBEYOND VISUAL LINE OF SIGHT (BVLOS)RECONNAISSANCE

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 7600 - Defence in New Zealand

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

The armed forces are facing severe personnel issues. A tight labour market, competitive private sector wages and low morale during the COVID-19 pandemic have all weighed on N...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Major capital investments in aircraft replacements have driven up the share of funding allocated to the Air Force. New purchases have also boosted operational funding for the...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Auckland’s airport and large population base make it a good location for military bases. Air bases can draw on infrastructure at the large international airport, while recrui...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

National defence involves no competition because it is a government division that is funded and operated by the government. Potential substitutes like Emergency Services New ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

National defence involves no major companies. This is because defence is a government-controlled entity.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024

Detailed analysis

    External Environment

    Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

    Analyst insights

    Mounting strategic threats are supporting pressure to raise defence spending. Increased conflict in the South China Sea, China’s engagement in the South Pacific and the rise ...

    In this chapter

    • External Drivers
    • Regulation & Policy
    • Assistance

    Key metrics

    • Regulation & policy level and trend
    • Assistance level and trend

    Charts

    • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
    • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

    Detailed analysis

    • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
    • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
    • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

    Financial Benchmarks

    View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

    Analyst insights

    A tight labour market has limited employment numbers, while inflation has weakened real wages. Despite a push to raise personnel numbers, recruiters have struggled to boost e...

    In this chapter

    • Cost Structure
    • Financial Ratios
    • Key Ratios

    Key metrics

    • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
    • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
    • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
    • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

    Charts

    • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
    • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
    • Investment vs. share of economy

    Data tables

    • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
    • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
    • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
    • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • Average Wage (2014-2029)
    • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
    • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
    • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
    • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

    Detailed analysis

    • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

    Key Statistics

    Industry Data

    Data Tables

    Including values and annual change:

    • Revenue (2014-2029)
    • IVA (2014-2029)
    • Establishments (2014-2029)
    • Enterprises (2014-2029)
    • Employment (2014-2029)
    • Exports (2014-2029)
    • Imports (2014-2029)
    • Wages (2014-2029)

    Top Questions Answered

    Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

    What is the market size of the Defence industry in New Zealand in 2024?

    The market size of the Defence industry in New Zealand is $4.6bn in 2024.

    How many businesses are there in the Defence in New Zealand industry in 2024?

    There are 3 businesses in the Defence industry in New Zealand, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.0 % between 2019 and 2024.

    Has the Defence industry in New Zealand grown or declined over the past 5 years?

    The market size of the Defence industry in New Zealand has been growing at a CAGR of 5.2 % between 2019 and 2024.

    What is the forecast growth of the Defence industry in New Zealand over the next 5 years?

    Over the next five years, the Defence industry in New Zealand is expected to grow.

    What does the Defence in New Zealand include?

    Army capabilities and Air Force capabilities are part of the Defence industry.

    How competitive is the Defence industry in New Zealand?

    The level of competition is very low and steady in the Defence industry in New Zealand.

    Related Industries

    Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

    Competitors

    • There are no industries to display.

    International industries

    View all industries in New Zealand

    Methodology

    How are IBISWorld reports created?

    IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

    Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

    IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

    What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

    Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

    Key data sources in New Zealand include:

    • Statistics New Zealand
    • New Zealand Company Register
    • Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

    Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

    These sources include:

    • Industry and trade associations
    • Industry federations or regulators
    • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

    Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

    How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

    IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

    IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

    Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.