Employment to population ratio in New Zealand
New Zealand: Employment to population ratio was 66.78 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
66.78
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
29th
of 186 countries
All-time high
68.83
in 2023
All-time low
56.23
in 1992
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment to population ratio in New Zealand, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 66.78 for employment to population ratio in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio in New Zealand peaked at 68.83 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 56.23, in 1992.
New Zealand ranks 29th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 56.69 | — |
| 1992 | 56.23 | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 56.7 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 58.36 | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 60.16 | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 61.06 | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 60.55 | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 59.59 | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 60.12 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 60.8 | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 61.79 | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 62.56 | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 62.71 | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 63.77 | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 64.64 | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 65.13 | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 65.52 | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 65.14 | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 63.6 | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 63.11 | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 63.49 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 62.95 | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 63.47 | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 64.6 | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 64.69 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 65.97 | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 67.14 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 67.45 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 67.29 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 66.65 | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 67.74 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 68.59 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 68.83 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 67.22 | -2.3% |
| 2025 | 66.78 | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 58.83 | 56.23 | 61.06 | 9 |
| 2000s | 63.56 | 60.8 | 65.52 | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.02 | 62.95 | 67.45 | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.64 | 66.65 | 68.83 | 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 employment to population ratio in New Zealand?
- Employment to population ratio in New Zealand was 66.78 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment to population ratio recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 68.83 in 2023.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.23 in 1992.
- How does New Zealand rank for employment to population ratio?
- New Zealand ranks 29th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Employment to population ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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