Labour force participation rate in New Zealand
New Zealand: Labour force participation rate was 70.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labour force participation rate in New Zealand, 1986–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 70.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup for labour force participation rate in 2025.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate in New Zealand peaked at 72.1 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2023 and was at its lowest, 63.3 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup, in 1993.
New Zealand ranks 2nd of 33 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 65.36 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 63.58 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 66.7 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 4 |
| 1990s | 64.43 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 63.3 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 65.6 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.11 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 65.22 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 68.35 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.06 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 67.6 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 70.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.05 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 70.25 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 72.1 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 1 Iceland 75.62 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 3 Sweden 67.53 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 4 Switzerland 67.33 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
- 5 Australia 66.92 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup compare
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 in New Zealand?
- Labour force participation rate in New Zealand was 70.5 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest labour force participation rate recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 72.1 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 2023.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.3 Percentage of working age population in the same subgroup in 1993.
- How does New Zealand rank for labour force participation rate?
- New Zealand ranks 2nd out of 33 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labour force participation rate 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 rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Labour force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The infra-annual dataflow on the labour force participation rate is a subset of the infra-annual labour statistics database, which contains predominantly monthly and quarterly statistics on the labour force participation rate by age groups (15+, 15-24, 25-54, 55-64, 15-64 and 15-74 where available) and sex and associated statistical methodological information and associated statistical methodological information, for the OECD member countries and for selected other economies. The labour force participation rate is calculated as the number of the labour force population as a percentage of the working age population. The infra-annual labour statistics compiled for all OECD member countries, are drawn from Labour Force Surveys based on definition provided by the 19th Conference of Labour Statisticians in 2013. The uniform application of these definitions across all OECD member countries results in estimates that are internationally comparable.