Skip to main content

Story: Parliament

Number of MPs over time

File size
629 bytes

The number of members of Parliament rose steadily during the 19th century. It remained the same from 1902 until 1966, but then began to climb again, and jumped significantly after the introduction of the mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) electoral system in 1996. 

Using this item

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Parliamentary debates and the New Zealand Election Results

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

John E. Martin, Parliament – Reform, 1980s onwards, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/33702/number-of-mps-over-time (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by John E. Martin, published 23 May 2012, updated 1 February 2015.