Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand
New Zealand: Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) was 81.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand stood at 81.6%. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand peaked at 81.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 76.3%, in 1993.
That places New Zealand 58th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 76.6% | — |
| 1992 | 76.3% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 76.3% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 76.3% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 76.4% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 76.6% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 76.7% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 76.8% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 77.0% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 77.3% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 77.5% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 77.8% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 78.0% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 78.3% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 78.7% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 79.0% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 79.3% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 79.4% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 79.5% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 79.5% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 79.5% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 79.5% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 79.6% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 79.6% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 79.7% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 79.9% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 80.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 80.3% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 80.5% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 80.4% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 80.6% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 80.9% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 81.2% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 81.4% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 81.6% | +0.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 81.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 86.8%, 94% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 81.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 62.3%, 1.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 76.6% | 76.3% | 77.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 78.5% | 77.3% | 79.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.8% | 79.5% | 80.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.0% | 80.4% | 81.6% | 6 |
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 wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand?
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in New Zealand was 81.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 81.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.3% in 1993.
- How does New Zealand rank for wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment)?
- New Zealand ranks 58th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Wage and salaried workers (employees) are those workers who hold the type of jobs defined as "paid employment jobs," where the incumbents hold explicit (written or oral) or implicit employment contracts that give them a basic remuneration that is not directly dependent upon the revenue of the unit for which they work.