Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) in New Zealand
New Zealand: Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) was 69.9 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) in New Zealand, 1990–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 69.9 for labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in New Zealand peaked at 71.5 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 62.87, in 1993.
That places New Zealand 30th out of 188 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 63.49 | — |
| 1991 | 63.42 | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 62.94 | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 62.87 | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 63.68 | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 64.31 | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 65.15 | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 65 | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 64.58 | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 64.66 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 64.77 | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 65.34 | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 66.04 | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 65.83 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 66.43 | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 67.19 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 67.74 | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 68.01 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 67.97 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 67.75 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 67.54 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 67.9 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 67.64 | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 67.41 | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 68.31 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 68.4 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 69.55 | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 70.48 | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 70.51 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 70.17 | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 69.86 | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 70.4 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 70.93 | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 71.5 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 70.55 | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 70.35 | -0.3% |
| 2026 | 70.14 | -0.3% |
| 2027 | 69.9 | -0.3% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 69.9 is above the median for high income countries, which is 62.3, 1.1× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 69.9 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 63.77, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 64.01 | 62.87 | 65.15 | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.71 | 64.77 | 68.01 | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.79 | 67.41 | 70.51 | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.45 | 69.86 | 71.5 | 8 |
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 labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in New Zealand?
- Labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in New Zealand was 69.9 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 71.5 in 2023.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.87 in 1993.
- How does New Zealand rank for labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates)?
- New Zealand ranks 30th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
- Is labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
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. 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 ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.