Labour dependency ratio in New Zealand

New Zealand: Labour dependency ratio was 0.821 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
0.821
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
172nd
of 188 countries
All-time high
1.31
in 1992
All-time low
0.78
in 2023
Years of data
37
1991–2027

Labour dependency ratio in New Zealand, 1991–2027

00.511.51991200920271991: 1.31992: 1.31993: 1.31994: 1.21995: 1.21996: 1.11997: 1.11998: 1.21999: 1.22000: 1.12001: 1.12002: 1.12003: 12004: 12005: 0.9722006: 0.952007: 0.9352008: 0.9442009: 0.9892010: 12011: 0.9882012: 12013: 0.982014: 0.9392015: 0.9292016: 0.8862017: 0.8492018: 0.8372019: 0.8382020: 0.8532021: 0.8192022: 0.7922023: 0.782024: 0.8172025: 0.8232026: 0.8242027: 0.821

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, labour dependency ratio in New Zealand stood at 0.821.

The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 3.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labour dependency ratio in New Zealand peaked at 1.31 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 0.78, in 2023.

New Zealand ranks 172nd of 188 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.

Labour dependency ratio in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates) in New Zealand, 1991 to 2027.
Year Value Change
1991 1.3
1992 1.31 +1.2%
1993 1.29 -1.4%
1994 1.23 -5.0%
1995 1.16 -5.5%
1996 1.13 -2.8%
1997 1.15 +1.5%
1998 1.18 +2.9%
1999 1.16 -1.8%
2000 1.13 -2.3%
2001 1.09 -3.5%
2002 1.06 -2.9%
2003 1.05 -1.1%
2004 1.01 -3.9%
2005 0.972 -3.4%
2006 0.95 -2.3%
2007 0.935 -1.6%
2008 0.944 +1.0%
2009 0.989 +4.8%
2010 1 +1.3%
2011 0.988 -1.4%
2012 1 +1.3%
2013 0.98 -2.1%
2014 0.939 -4.2%
2015 0.929 -1.1%
2016 0.886 -4.6%
2017 0.849 -4.2%
2018 0.837 -1.4%
2019 0.838 +0.1%
2020 0.853 +1.8%
2021 0.819 -4.0%
2022 0.792 -3.3%
2023 0.78 -1.5%
2024 0.817 +4.7%
2025 0.823 +0.7%
2026 0.824 +0.1%
2027 0.821 -0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.21 1.13 1.31 9
2000s 1.01 0.935 1.13 10
2010s 0.9249 0.837 1 10
2020s 0.8161 0.78 0.853 8

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 169 Malta 0.853 compare
  2. 170 Netherlands 0.834 compare
  3. 171 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 0.823 compare
  4. 173 Bahamas 0.817 compare
  5. 174 Viet Nam 0.806 compare
  6. 175 Jamaica 0.805 compare
  7. 175 Japan 0.805 compare

See the full ranking of 276 places →

More work & labour data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is labour dependency ratio in New Zealand?
Labour dependency ratio in New Zealand was 0.821 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest labour dependency ratio recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 1.31 in 1992.
What is the lowest labour dependency ratio recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 0.78 in 2023.
How does New Zealand rank for labour dependency ratio?
New Zealand ranks 172nd out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
Is labour dependency ratio rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labour dependency ratio in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labour-dependency-ratio-ilo-modelled-estimates/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
276 places, 10,188 data points, 1991–2027
Last refreshed

Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. This indicator provides the ratio of dependents (persons aged 0 to 14 + persons aged 15 and above that are either outside the labour force or unemployed) to total employment. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.