What is the drinking age in New Zealand?

18–20

Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.

New Zealand is one of 135 countries classified “18–20” for the drinking age — 70% of the 192 with data.

Source

Taken from: Wikipedia: Legal drinking age
Last checked: 15 September 2026
How it was classified: Read directly from the source’s own table, without interpretation.

Nearby countries

Tonga: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Fiji: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Vanuatu: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Samoa: 21+ Minimum age to buy alcohol: 21.
Australia: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Solomon Islands: 21+ Minimum age to buy alcohol: 21.

Other laws in New Zealand

Cannabis: Legal (Medical)
Smoking Age: 18
Psilocybin Mushrooms: Illegal
Salvia Divinorum: Legal / unregulated
Khat: Illegal
E-Cigarettes: Regulated

Every law in New Zealand → · What is the drinking age around the world? →

A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.