List of prime ministers of New Zealand facts for kids

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 main leader of the country's government. They are also the head of the Cabinet, which is a group of top ministers who make important decisions. The prime minister's powers and duties are based on long-standing traditions, not just written laws.

Officially, the Governor-General chooses the prime minister. However, by tradition, the person chosen must have the support of most members in the House of Representatives (New Zealand's Parliament). The prime minister is always a member of Parliament.

In the past, prime ministers led groups of independent politicians, which were often unstable. Today, the prime minister is usually the leader of the largest political party in Parliament. Since 1935, every prime minister has been from either the National party or the Labour party. This shows how important these two parties are in New Zealand politics. After a new voting system called mixed-member proportional was introduced in 1996, prime ministers often need to work with smaller parties to keep a majority in Parliament.

The title of this important job has changed over time. It was first called "colonial secretary". In 1869, it officially became "premier". This title was used for more than 30 years. Then, Richard Seddon, who was premier at the time, started using "prime minister" officially in 1902.

Some historians think James FitzGerald was New Zealand's first prime minister. However, most people agree that Henry Sewell, who served in 1856, was the first true premier. This is because New Zealand didn't have its own responsible government when FitzGerald was in charge. Since Sewell, 42 different people have held the top job. This does not include Hugh Watt, who was acting prime minister for a short time after Norman Kirk passed away.

Eight prime ministers have served more than once. Richard Seddon held the job for the longest time, serving for thirteen years from 1893 to 1906. The youngest prime minister was Edward Stafford, who was 37 when he started. The oldest was Walter Nash, who left office at 78. New Zealand has had three women prime ministers. This is the same number as Finland, Lithuania, Poland, and the United Kingdom, and only Switzerland has had more.

The current prime minister is Christopher Luxon. He started his role on 27 November 2023.

List of Prime Ministers
Timeline of Prime Ministers
More About Prime Ministers
See also

List of Prime Ministers

This section lists the prime ministers of New Zealand. It shows which political party they belonged to when they were in office. It also shows the areas they represented in Parliament. Some prime ministers were part of other parties or represented different areas before or after being prime minister. A number in brackets, like (2), means the prime minister had served in the role before.

Political parties

Independent Liberal Reform United Labour National

Status

Denotes acting prime minister

Symbols

Died in office

Colonial Secretaries (1856–1869)
No.	Portrait	Name Constituency (Birth–Death)	Election (Parliament)	Term of office			Political party	Government
No.	Portrait	Name Constituency (Birth–Death)	Election (Parliament)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Government
1		The Honourable Henry Sewell MP for Christchurch (1807–1879)	1855 (2nd)	7 May 1856	20 May 1856	14 days	Independent	Sewell
2		The Right Honourable Sir William Fox KCMG MP for Wanganui and Rangitikei (1812–1893)	– (2nd)	20 May 1856	2 June 1856	14 days	Independent	Fox I
3		The Right Honourable Sir Edward Stafford GCMG MP for Nelson (1819–1901)	– (2nd)	2 June 1856	12 July 1861	5 years, 41 days	Independent	Stafford I
(2)		The Right Honourable Sir William Fox KCMG MP for Rangitikei (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 (1811–1887)	– (3rd)	6 August 1862	30 October 1863	1 year, 86 days	Independent	Domett
5		The Honourable Sir Frederick Whitaker KCMG Councillor (1812–1891)	– (3rd)	30 October 1863	24 November 1864	1 year, 26 days	Independent	Whitaker–Fox
6		The Honourable Sir Frederick Weld GCMG MP for Cheviot (1823–1891)	– (3rd)	24 November 1864	16 October 1865	327 days	Independent	Weld
(3)		The Right Honourable Sir Edward Stafford GCMG MP for Nelson until 1868 MP for Timaru 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
No.	Portrait	Name Constituency (Birth–Death)	Election (Parliament)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Government
(2)		The Right Honourable Sir William Fox KCMG MP for Rangitikei (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 (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)		The Right Honourable Sir William Fox KCMG MP for Rangitikei (1812–1893)	– (5th)	3 March 1873	8 April 1873	37 days	Independent	Fox IV
8		The Right Honourable Sir Julius Vogel KCMG MP for Auckland East (1835–1899)	– (5th)	8 April 1873	6 July 1875	2 years, 90 days	Independent	Vogel I
9		The Honourable Daniel Pollen Councillor (1813–1896)	– (5th)	6 July 1875	15 February 1876	225 days	Independent	Pollen
(8)		The Right Honourable Sir Julius Vogel KCMG MP for Wanganui (1835–1899)	1875–1876 (6th)	15 February 1876	1 September 1876	200 days	Independent	Vogel II
10		The Honourable Sir Harry Atkinson KCMG MP for Egmont (1831–1892)	– (6th)	1 September 1876	13 October 1877	1 year, 43 days	Independent	Atkinson I • II "Continuous Ministry"
11		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)		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)		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		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)		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)		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)		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		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		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		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)		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	United with Labour; C&S with independents
22			1931 (24th)	28 May 1930	6 December 1935	5 years, 193 days	United	United–Reform Coalition
23		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 Sir 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		The Right Honourable Sir Keith Holyoake KGGCMGCHQSOKStJ MP for Pahiatua (1904–1983)	– (31st)	20 September 1957	12 December 1957	84 days	National	First National
27		The Right Honourable Sir Walter Nash GCMGCH MP for Hutt (1882–1968)	1957 (32nd)	12 December 1957	12 December 1960	3 years, 1 day	Labour	Second Labour
(26)		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		The Right Honourable Sir Jack Marshall GBECHED MP for Karori (1912–1988)	– (36th)	7 February 1972	8 December 1972	306 days	National	Second National
29		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
—		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 Sir Bill Rowling KCMG MP for Tasman (1927–1995)	– (37th)	6 September 1974	12 December 1975	1 year, 98 days	Labour
31		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		The Right Honourable Sir Geoffrey Palmer KCMGACKC MP for Christchurch Central (born 1942)	– (42nd)	8 August 1989	4 September 1990	1 year, 28 days	Labour
34		The Right Honourable Mike Moore ONZAO MP for Christchurch North (1949–2020)	– (42nd)	4 September 1990	2 November 1990	60 days	Labour
35		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		The Right Honourable Dame Jenny Shipley DNZM MP for Rakaia (born 1952)	– (45th)	8 December 1997	10 December 1999	2 years, 3 days	National
37		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, Cooperation Agreement 2005–2008; C&S with New Zealand First 2005–2008; United Future 2002–2008
38		The Right Honourable Sir 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		The Right Honourable Sir Bill English KNZM List MP (born 1961)	– (51st)	12 December 2016	26 October 2017	319 days	National	Fifth National C&S with ACT, United Future, Māori
40		The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern GNZM MP for Mount Albert (born 1980)	2017 (52nd) 2020 (53rd)	26 October 2017	25 January 2023	5 years, 91 days	Labour	Sixth Labour with New Zealand First 2017–2020; C&S with Greens 2017–2020; Cooperation with Greens 2020–2023
41		The Right Honourable Chris Hipkins MP for Remutaka (born 1978)	– (53rd)	25 January 2023	27 November 2023	306 days	Labour
42		The Right Honourable Christopher Luxon MP for Botany (born 1970)	2023 (54th)	27 November 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 269 days	National	Sixth National with ACT, New Zealand First 2023–present