Employers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand
New Zealand: Employers, total (% of total employment) was 5.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand stood at 5.8%.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand peaked at 7.8% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 2023.
That places New Zealand 26th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7.8% | — |
| 1992 | 7.8% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 7.7% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 7.7% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 7.6% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 7.5% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 7.4% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 7.3% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 7.2% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 7.0% | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 6.9% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 6.8% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 6.7% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 6.6% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 6.6% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 6.5% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 6.4% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 6.4% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 6.3% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 6.3% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 6.3% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 6.2% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 6.2% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 6.1% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 6.1% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 6.0% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 5.9% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 5.9% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 5.8% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 5.8% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 5.9% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 5.8% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 5.8% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 5.9% | +2.1% |
| 2025 | 5.8% | -0.9% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 5.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.4%, 1.7× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 5.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.2%, 1.8× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.5% | 7.2% | 7.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 6.6% | 6.3% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
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 employers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand?
- Employers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand was 5.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 7.8% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for employers, total (% of total employment)?
- New Zealand ranks 26th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs" i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced), and, in this capacity, have engaged, on a continuous basis, one or more persons to work for them as employee(s).