Shrinking .nz domain numbers are unprecedented

In October 2022 the total number of registered .nz domains (including .co.nz, .net.nz, .school.nz, etc) passed 750,000. That’s roughly one for every 7 New Zealanders. It was quite the milestone and more growth followed, like it almost always does.

But something very usual has happened since then. The .nz namespace, as it’s known to geeks like us, is shrinking. The fastest-ever decline in .nz domains started in mid-2023, and it hasn’t finished yet.

We know this thanks to figures from the Domain Name Commission, which oversees the .nz market. What else has the DNC reported lately, and what it might all mean?

The sharpest drop

Here’s the DNC’s graph of total .nz domains from January 2013 (as far back as their market data webpage goes) to November 2023, the latest…