LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (current ILO) in New Zealand

New Zealand: LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (current ILO) was 12.78 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
12.78
Change on year
up 8.7%
World rank
26th
of 56 countries
All-time high
12.78
in 2025
All-time low
9.29
in 2022
Years of data
7
2019–2025

LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (current ILO) in New Zealand, 2019–2025

0510152019202220252019: 10.72020: 11.92021: 10.32022: 9.32023: 10.12024: 11.82025: 12.8

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2025, lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization (current ilo) in New Zealand stood at 12.78. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.7% on the previous year and up 19.2% over ten years.

New Zealand ranks 26th of 56 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (current ILO) in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) in New Zealand, 2019 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2019 10.72
2020 11.9 +11.1%
2021 10.29 -13.5%
2022 9.29 -9.8%
2023 10.08 +8.6%
2024 11.76 +16.6%
2025 12.78 +8.7%

New Zealand compared with similar countries

  • New Zealand's 12.78 is above the median for high income countries, which is 12.04, 1.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)
  • New Zealand's 12.78 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 7.58, 1.7× the median. (7 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 10.72 10.72 10.72 1
2020s 11.02 9.29 12.78 6

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 23 Panama 13.54 compare
  2. 24 Estonia 13.06 compare
  3. 25 Switzerland 12.99 compare
  4. 27 Barbados 12.58 compare
  5. 28 Netherlands 12.33 compare
  6. 29 Portugal 12.24 compare

See the full ranking of 56 places →

More work & labour data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization (current ilo) in New Zealand?
Lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization (current ilo) in New Zealand was 12.78 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization (current ilo) recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 12.78 in 2025.
What is the lowest lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization (current ilo) recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 9.29 in 2022.
How does New Zealand rank for lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization (current ilo)?
New Zealand ranks 26th out of 56 countries with data for 2025.
Is lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization (current ilo) rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.2%. 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 LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (current ILO) in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu4-composite-rate-of-labour-underutilization-current-ilo-definition-icls19-15/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
56 places, 570 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. LU4 represents the share of the extended labour force that are in unemployment, time-related underemployment or the potential labour force. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.