List of prime ministers of New Zealand

File:Six Former Prime Ministers of New Zealand.jpg

The current and five former prime ministers in 2021 (from left) – Bill English, John Key, Geoffrey Palmer, Jacinda Ardern, Helen Clark, and Jim Bolger

File:Four past New Zealand prime ministers together in 1992.jpg

Four New Zealand prime ministers pictured in 1992 (from left) – David Lange, Jim Bolger, Robert Muldoon and Mike Moore

The prime minister of New Zealand is the country's head of government and the leader of the Cabinet, whose powers and responsibilities are defined by convention. Officially, the prime minister is appointed by the governor-general, but by convention, the prime minister must have the confidence of the House of Representatives. The prime minister is always a member of parliament.

Originally, prime ministers headed loose coalitions of independents, which were often unstable; since the advent of political parties, the prime minister is usually the leader of the largest political party in the House. Since 1935, every prime minister has been a member of either the National party or the Labour party, reflecting their domination of New Zealand politics. After the introduction of mixed-member proportional voting in 1996, prime ministers have usually needed to negotiate agreements with smaller parties to maintain a majority in Parliament.

Early leaders of the New Zealand government were informally called "First Minister," "Premier," and "Prime Minister: "Premier" was first used officially in 1864, and "Prime Minister" in 1869. The term "Premier" was generally used until Richard Seddon changed it to "Prime Minister" during his tenure in the office; he used the title officially at the Imperial Conference of 1903.

Some historians regard James FitzGerald as New Zealand's first prime minister, although a more conventional view is that neither he nor his successor (Thomas Forsaith) should properly be given that title, as New Zealand did not yet have responsible government when they served. Most commonly, Henry Sewell, who served during 1856, is regarded as New Zealand's first premier. Beginning with Sewell, forty individuals have so far held the premiership, not including acting prime ministers. Nine prime ministers have held the position for more than one period in office. Richard Seddon, Prime Minister for thirteen years between 1893 and 1906, held the office for the longest term. The youngest prime minister was Edward Stafford, who assumed office at age 37, and the oldest was Walter Nash, who left office at age 78. Three prime ministers have been women, a count equalled by Iceland, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom, and only surpassed by Finland and Switzerland.

The current prime minister is Jacinda Ardern, who assumed office on 26 October 2017 and, having announced her resignation, will leave office on January 25 2023 at the latest.

List of officeholders

The parties shown are those to which the heads of government belonged at the time they held office and the electoral districts shown are those they represented while in office. Several prime ministers belonged to parties other than those given and represented other electorates before and after their time in office. A number in brackets indicates the prime minister served a previous term in office.

Political parties

  Independent

  Liberal

  Reform

  United

  Labour

  National

Colonial Secretaries (1856–1869)

No.	Portrait	Name Constituency (Birth–Death)	Election (Parliament)	Term of office			Political party	Government
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	90px	The Honourable Henry Sewell MP for Christchurch, Canterbury (1807–1879)	1855 (2nd)	7 May 1856	20 May 1856	14 days	Independent	Sewell
2	90px	The Right Honourable Sir William Fox KCMG MP for Wanganui and Rangitikei, Wellington (1812–1893)	– (2nd)	20 May 1856	2 June 1856	14 days	Independent	Fox I
3	90px	The Right Honourable Sir Edward Stafford GCMG MP for Nelson, Nelson Province (1819–1901)	– (2nd)	2 June 1856	12 July 1861	5 years, 41 days	Independent	Stafford I
(2)	90px	The Right Honourable Sir William Fox KCMG MP for Rangitikei, Wellington (1812–1893)	1860–1861 (3rd)	12 July 1861	6 August 1862	1 year, 26 days	Independent	Fox II
4		The Honourable Alfred Domett MP for Nelson, Nelson Province (1811–1887)	– (3rd)	6 August 1862	30 October 1863	1 year, 86 days	Independent	Domett
5	90px	The Honourable Sir Frederick Whitaker KCMG Councillor (1812–1891)	– (3rd)	30 October 1863	24 November 1864	1 year, 26 days	Independent	Whitaker–Fox
6	90px	The Honourable Sir Frederick Weld GCMG MP for Cheviot, Canterbury (1823–1891)	– (3rd)	24 November 1864	16 October 1865	327 days	Independent	Weld
(3)	90px	The Right Honourable Sir Edward Stafford GCMG MP for Nelson, Nelson Province until 1868 MP for Timaru, Canterbury from 1868 (1819–1901)	– (3rd) 1866 (4th)	16 October 1865	28 June 1869	3 years, 256 days	Independent	Stafford II

Premiers and prime ministers (1869–present)

No.	Portrait	Name Constituency (Birth–Death)	Election (Parliament)	Term of office			Political party	Government
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
(2)	90px	The Right Honourable Sir William Fox KCMG MP for Rangitikei, Wellington (1812–1893)	– (4th) 1871 (5th)	28 June 1869	10 September 1872	3 years, 75 days	Independent	Fox III
(3)		The Right Honourable Sir Edward Stafford GCMG MP for Timaru, Canterbury (1819–1901)	– (5th)	10 September 1872	11 October 1872	32 days	Independent	Stafford III
7		The Right Honourable George Waterhouse Councillor (1824–1906)	– (5th)	11 October 1872	3 March 1873	144 days	Independent	Waterhouse
(2)	90px	The Right Honourable Sir William Fox KCMG MP for Rangitikei, Wellington (1812–1893)	– (5th)	3 March 1873	8 April 1873	37 days	Independent	Fox IV
8	90px	The Right Honourable Sir Julius Vogel KCMG MP for Auckland East, Auckland (1835–1899)	– (5th)	8 April 1873	6 July 1875	2 years, 90 days	Independent	Vogel I
9	90px	The Honourable Daniel Pollen Councillor (1813–1896)	– (5th)	6 July 1875	15 February 1876	225 days	Independent	Pollen
(8)	90px	The Right Honourable Sir Julius Vogel KCMG MP for Wanganui, Wellington (1835–1899)	1875–1876 (6th)	15 February 1876	1 September 1876	200 days	Independent	Vogel II
10	90px	The Honourable Sir Harry Atkinson KCMG MP for Egmont, Taranaki. provinces abolished on 1 November 1876 (1831–1892)	– (6th)	1 September 1876	13 October 1877	1 year, 43 days	Independent	Atkinson I • II "Continuous Ministry"
11	90px	The Right Honourable Sir George Grey KCB MP for Thames (1812–1898)	– (6th)	13 October 1877	8 October 1879	1 year, 361 days	Independent	Grey
12		The Honourable Sir John Hall KCMG MP for Selwyn (1824–1907)	1879 (7th) 1881 (8th)	8 October 1879	21 April 1882	2 years, 196 days	Independent	Hall "Continuous Ministry"
(5)	90px	The Honourable Sir Frederick Whitaker KCMG Councillor (1812–1891)	– (8th)	21 April 1882	25 September 1883	1 year, 158 days	Independent	Whitaker "Continuous Ministry"
(10)	90px	The Honourable Sir Harry Atkinson KCMG MP for Egmont (1831–1892)	– (8th)	25 September 1883	16 August 1884	327 days	Independent	Atkinson III "Continuous Ministry"
13	90px	The Right Honourable Robert Stout KCMG MP for Dunedin East (1844–1930)	1884 (9th)	16 August 1884	28 August 1884	13 days	Independent	Stout–Vogel
(10)	90px	The Honourable Sir Harry Atkinson KCMG MP for Egmont (1831–1892)	– (9th)	28 August 1884	3 September 1884	7 days	Independent	Atkinson IV "Continuous Ministry"
(13)	90px	The Right Honourable Sir Robert Stout KCMG MP for Dunedin East (1844–1930)	– (9th)	3 September 1884	8 October 1887	3 years, 36 days	Independent	Stout–Vogel
(10)	90px	The Honourable Sir Harry Atkinson KCMG MP for Egmont (1831–1892)	1887 (10th)	8 October 1887	24 January 1891	3 years, 109 days	Independent	Atkinson V "Scarecrow Ministry"
14		The Right Honourable John Ballance MP for Wanganui (1839–1893)	1890 (11th)	24 January 1891	27 April 1893	2 years, 94 days	Liberal	Liberal
15	90px	The Right Honourable Richard Seddon MP for Westland (1845–1906)	– (11th) 1893 (12th) 1896 (13th) 1899 (14th) 1902 (15th) 1905 (16th)	1 May 1893	10 June 1906	13 years, 41 days	Liberal
16		The Honourable William Hall-Jones KCMG MP for Timaru (1851–1936)	– (16th)	21 June 1906	6 August 1906	47 days	Liberal
17	85px	The Right Honourable Sir Joseph Ward BtGCMG MP for Awarua (1856–1930)	– (16th) 1908 (17th) 1911 (18th)	6 August 1906	12 March 1912	5 years, 220 days	Liberal	Liberal C&S with IPLL 1908–1910; Labour 1910–1912; independents 1911–1912
18	85px	The Right Honourable Thomas Mackenzie GCMG MP for Egmont (1853–1930)	– (18th)	28 March 1912	10 July 1912	105 days	Liberal
19		The Right Honourable William Massey MP for Franklin (1856–1925)	– (18th) 1914 (19th) 1919 (20th) 1922 (21st)	10 July 1912	10 May 1925	12 years, 305 days	Reform	Reform with Liberal 1915–1919; C&S with independents
20		The Right Honourable Francis Bell GCMGKC Councillor (1851–1936)	– (21st)	14 May 1925	30 May 1925	17 days	Reform
21		The Right Honourable Gordon Coates MC* MP for Kaipara (1878–1943)	– (21st) 1925 (22nd)	30 May 1925	10 December 1928	3 years, 195 days	Reform
(17)	85px	The Right Honourable Sir Joseph Ward BtGCMG MP for Invercargill (1856–1930)	1928 (23rd)	10 December 1928	28 May 1930	1 year, 170 days	United	United with Labour; C&S with independents
22		The Right Honourable George Forbes MP for Hurunui (1869–1947)	– (23rd)	28 May 1930	6 December 1935	5 years, 193 days	United
			1931 (24th)					United–Reform Coalition
23	90px	The Right Honourable Michael Joseph Savage MP for Auckland West (1872–1940)	1935 (25th) 1938 (26th)	6 December 1935	27 March 1940	4 years, 113 days	Labour	First Labour C&S with Rātana 1935–1936; independents 1935–1946
24		The Right Honourable Peter Fraser CH MP for Wellington Central until 1946 MP for Brooklyn from 1946 (1884–1950)	– (26th) 1943 (27th) 1946 (28th)	1 April 1940	13 December 1949	9 years, 257 days	Labour
25		The Right Honourable Sidney Holland GCMGCH MP for Fendalton (1893–1961)	1949 (29th) 1951 (30th) 1954 (31st)	13 December 1949	20 September 1957	7 years, 282 days	National	First National
26	90px	The Right Honourable Keith Holyoake KGGCMGCHQSOKStJ MP for Pahiatua (1904–1983)	– (31st)	20 September 1957	12 December 1957	84 days	National
27		The Right Honourable Walter Nash GCMGCH MP for Hutt (1882–1968)	1957 (32nd)	12 December 1957	12 December 1960	3 years, 1 day	Labour	Second Labour
(26)	90px	The Right Honourable Sir Keith Holyoake KGGCMGCHQSOKStJ MP for Pahiatua (1904–1983)	1960 (33rd) 1963 (34th) 1966 (35th) 1969 (36th)	12 December 1960	7 February 1972	11 years, 58 days	National	Second National
28	90px	The Right Honourable Jack Marshall GBECHED MP for Karori (1912–1988)	– (36th)	7 February 1972	8 December 1972	306 days	National
29	90px	The Right Honourable Norman Kirk MP for Sydenham (1923–1974)	1972 (37th)	8 December 1972	31 August 1974	1 year, 267 days	Labour	Third Labour
—	90px	The Right Honourable Hugh Watt JP MP for Onehunga (1912–1980) Acting prime minister	– (37th)	31 August 1974	6 September 1974	7 days	Labour
30		The Right Honourable Bill Rowling KCMG MP for Tasman (1927–1995)	– (37th)	6 September 1974	12 December 1975	1 year, 98 days	Labour
31	90px	The Right Honourable Sir Robert Muldoon GCMGCH MP for Tamaki (1921–1992)	1975 (38th) 1978 (39th) 1981 (40th)	12 December 1975	26 July 1984	8 years, 228 days	National	Third National
32		The Right Honourable David Lange ONZCH MP for Mangere (1942–2005)	1984 (41st) 1987 (42nd)	26 July 1984	8 August 1989	5 years, 14 days	Labour	Fourth Labour
33	90px	The Right Honourable Geoffrey Palmer KCMGACKC MP for Christchurch Central (born 1942)	– (42nd)	8 August 1989	4 September 1990	1 year, 28 days	Labour
34	90px	The Right Honourable Mike Moore ONZAO MP for Christchurch North (1949–2020)	– (42nd)	4 September 1990	2 November 1990	60 days	Labour
35	90px	The Right Honourable Jim Bolger ONZ MP for King Country (born 1935)	1990 (43rd) 1993 (44th) 1996 (45th)	2 November 1990	8 December 1997	7 years, 37 days	National	Fourth National with Right of Centre 1994–1995; United NZ 1995–1996; New Zealand First 1996–1998; Mauri Pacific, Mana Wahine, independents 1998–1999; C&S with Future 1994–1995; Christian Democrats 1995–1996; United NZ 1995–1995, 1998–1999; ACT, independents 1998–1999
36	90px	The Right Honourable Jenny Shipley DNZM MP for Rakaia (born 1952)	– (45th)	8 December 1997	10 December 1999	2 years, 3 days	National
37	90px	The Right Honourable Helen Clark ONZSSI MP for Mount Albert (born 1950)	1999 (46th) 2002 (47th) 2005 (48th)	10 December 1999	19 November 2008	8 years, 346 days	Labour	Fifth Labour with Alliance 1999–2002, Progressives 2002–2008; C&S with Greens 1999–2002, 2005–2008; New Zealand First 2005–2008; United Future 2002–2008
38		The Right Honourable John Key GNZMAC MP for Helensville (born 1961)	2008 (49th) 2011 (50th) 2014 (51st)	19 November 2008	12 December 2016	8 years 24 days	National	Fifth National C&S with ACT, United Future, Māori
39	90px	The Right Honourable Bill English KNZM List MP (born 1961)	– (51st)	12 December 2016	26 October 2017	319 days	National
40	90px	The Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern MP for Mount Albert (born 1980)	2017 (52nd) 2020 (53rd)	26 October 2017	Incumbent		Labour	Sixth Labour with New Zealand First 2017–2020; C&S with Greens 2017–2020; Cooperation with Greens 2020–present
41	90x90px	The Right Honourable Chris Hipkins MP for Remutaka (born 1978)	– (53rd)	25 January 2023	Designate

• ^† Died in office

Timeline

Ancestry

Main article: European New Zealanders § Prime Ministers

All of the ancestors of the forty Prime Ministers of New Zealand were European and Anglo-Celtic (English, Scottish, Northern Irish, Welsh, or Irish).

See also

• List of prime ministers of New Zealand by age
• List of prime ministers of New Zealand by place of birth
• List of prime ministers of Queen Victoria
• List of prime ministers of Edward VII
• List of prime ministers of George V
• List of prime ministers of Edward VIII
• List of prime ministers of George VI
• List of prime ministers of Elizabeth II
• List of prime ministers of Charles III

References