About 94 per cent of New Zealanders still eat meat, according to 2018 data from more than 47,000 people.
The study also found that 86 per cent ate an unrestricted meat-based diet, while just under 6 per cent were vegetarian or vegan.
Researchers at the University of Waikato, University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington conducted the study.
They said concerns over potential negative effects of excessive meat consumption on both the environment and personal health, coupled with long-standing debates over animal rights, have motivated research on the prevalence and predictors of plant-based versus meat-based diets.
However, few studies had examined longitudinal trends in dietary behaviours using large national samples, researchers said.