Prime Minister Bill English is heartened by the number of young people attending Anzac Day services, and says they are more aware of the significance than his generation.

Mr English attended the dawn service at Wellington's Pukeahu National War Memorial this morning.

He said he went to dawn services as a child, but he was struck by the number of people in their teens and 20s turning up now.

"Young people today I think understand Anzac Day. They are taught it better, they know it better than my generation did 30-40 years ago."

After the dawn service at Auckland Museum, 7-year-old Cordejah Misipeka told reporter Christina Campbell her favourite part of the service was the minute of silence which she dubbed "the quiet time".

LISTEN ABOVE: Lamoni Dennison (9), Corey Wilson and Cordejah Misipeka (7) speak about Anzac Day after the dawn service at Auckland's War Memorial Museum.