Labour force participation rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in New Zealand

New Zealand: Labour force participation rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 70.5 in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
70.5
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
4th
of 69 countries
All-time high
72.09
in 2023
All-time low
68.69
in 2014
Years of data
12
2014–2025

Labour force participation rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in New Zealand, 2014–2025

0204060802014201920252014: 68.72015: 68.82016: 702017: 70.92018: 70.92019: 70.62020: 70.22021: 70.82022: 71.32023: 72.12024: 71.32025: 70.5

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

New Zealand recorded 70.5 for labour force participation rate (current ilo definition - icls19) in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labour force participation rate (current ilo definition - icls19) in New Zealand peaked at 72.09 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 68.69, in 2014.

New Zealand ranks 4th of 69 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 69.97 68.69 70.92 6
2020s 71.04 70.25 72.09 6

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 1 Qatar 87.95 compare
  2. 2 United Arab Emirates 81.36 compare
  3. 3 Iceland 75.62 compare
  4. 5 Angola 69.12 compare
  5. 6 Netherlands 68.65 compare
  6. 7 Singapore 67.87 compare

See the full ranking of 69 places →

More work & labour data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is labour force participation rate (current ilo definition - icls19) in New Zealand?
Labour force participation rate (current ilo definition - icls19) in New Zealand was 70.5 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest labour force participation rate (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 72.09 in 2023.
What is the lowest labour force participation rate (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 68.69 in 2014.
How does New Zealand rank for labour force participation rate (current ilo definition - icls19)?
New Zealand ranks 4th out of 69 countries with data for 2025.
Is labour force participation rate (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force participation rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labour force participation rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labour-force-participation-rate-current-ilo-definition-icls19-15/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Labour force participation rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
69 places, 713 data points, 2014–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. The labour force participation rate is the labour force as a percent of the working-age population. The labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.