Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked in New Zealand
New Zealand: Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked was 1,723 Hours per year per person in 2025. ▼ Falling
Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked in New Zealand, 1970–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Hours per year per person.
Analysis
In 2025, average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in New Zealand stood at 1,723 Hours per year per person. That is the lowest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in New Zealand peaked at 1,864 Hours per year per person in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1,723 Hours per year per person, in 2025.
That places New Zealand 16th out of 36 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Hours per year per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,864 Hours per year per person | — |
| 1971 | 1,861 Hours per year per person | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 1,846 Hours per year per person | -0.8% |
| 1973 | 1,844 Hours per year per person | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 1,852 Hours per year per person | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 1,837 Hours per year per person | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 1,834 Hours per year per person | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 1,839 Hours per year per person | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 1,830 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 1,821 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 1,810 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 1,792 Hours per year per person | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 1,799 Hours per year per person | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 1,853 Hours per year per person | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 1,846 Hours per year per person | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 1,840 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 1,834 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 1,838 Hours per year per person | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 1,829 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 1,820 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 1,809 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 1,792 Hours per year per person | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 1,799 Hours per year per person | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 1,853 Hours per year per person | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 1,848 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 1,841 Hours per year per person | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 1,834 Hours per year per person | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 1,826 Hours per year per person | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 1,829 Hours per year per person | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 1,845 Hours per year per person | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 1,836 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 1,825 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 1,826 Hours per year per person | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 1,823 Hours per year per person | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 1,830 Hours per year per person | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 1,815 Hours per year per person | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 1,795 Hours per year per person | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 1,774 Hours per year per person | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 1,761 Hours per year per person | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 1,740 Hours per year per person | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 1,755 Hours per year per person | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 1,746 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 1,734 Hours per year per person | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 1,756 Hours per year per person | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 1,758 Hours per year per person | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 1,753 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 1,754 Hours per year per person | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 1,756 Hours per year per person | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 1,759 Hours per year per person | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 1,783 Hours per year per person | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 1,739 Hours per year per person | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 1,730 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 1,748 Hours per year per person | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 1,751 Hours per year per person | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 1,741 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 1,723 Hours per year per person | -1.0% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 1,723 Hours per year per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,640 Hours per year per person, 1.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1,843 Hours per year per person | 1,821 Hours per year per person | 1,864 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,826 Hours per year per person | 1,792 Hours per year per person | 1,853 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,828 Hours per year per person | 1,792 Hours per year per person | 1,853 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,802 Hours per year per person | 1,740 Hours per year per person | 1,836 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,755 Hours per year per person | 1,734 Hours per year per person | 1,783 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,739 Hours per year per person | 1,723 Hours per year per person | 1,751 Hours per year per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 13 United States 1,800 Hours per year per person compare
- 14 Portugal 1,764 Hours per year per person compare
- 15 OECD 1,736 Hours per year per person compare
- 17 Italy 1,716 Hours per year per person compare
- 18 Canada 1,687 Hours per year per person compare
- 19 Hungary 1,671 Hours per year per person compare
More work & labour data for New Zealand
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0748 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0721 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0776 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.4877 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,200 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 511.04 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,819 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,994 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,812 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in New Zealand?
- Average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in New Zealand was 1,723 Hours per year per person in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 1,864 Hours per year per person in 1970.
- What is the lowest average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,723 Hours per year per person in 2025.
- How does New Zealand rank for average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked?
- New Zealand ranks 16th out of 36 countries with data for 2025.
- Is average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The concept used is the total number of hours worked over the year divided by the average number of people in employment. The data are intended for comparisons of trends over time; they are unsuitable for comparisons of the level of average annual hours of work for a given year, because of differences in their sources. Part-time workers are covered as well as full-time workers. Detailed notes and sources can be found in LFS_NOTES_SOURCES. In order to facilitate analysis and comparisons over time, historical data for OECD members have been provided over as long a period as possible, often even before a country became a member of the Organisation. Information on the membership dates of all OECD countries can be found at OECD Ratification Dates.