NZ Employment Rate
Annual employment-to-population ratio in New Zealand for people aged 15 and over, using the national-estimate series.
Latest year in this collection
2025: 66.80%. This is the latest annual observation in the 17 September 2026 download, not a live economic release. No 2026 value is estimated.
What this indicator measures
This measure uses the population aged 15 and over as its denominator. The unemployment series uses the labour force, so the two rates do not add up to 100%.
Latest available annual historical series, not the information available on election day. Annual reference years follow the source; these are not election-day or quarterly observations. Blank years are not estimated.
Showing economic data beside political history does not establish causation or measure a government's performance.
Employment: annual history
| Year | Employment (%) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 66.80% |
| 2024 | 67.87% |
| 2023 | 69.37% |
| 2022 | 68.97% |
| 2021 | 68.11% |
| 2020 | 67.02% |
| 2019 | 67.65% |
| 2018 | 67.83% |
| 2017 | 67.56% |
| 2016 | 66.37% |
| 2015 | 65.06% |
| 2014 | 64.96% |
| 2013 | 63.81% |
| 2012 | 63.20% |
| 2011 | 63.79% |
| 2010 | 63.43% |
| 2009 | 63.92% |
| 2008 | 65.51% |
| 2007 | 65.90% |
| 2006 | 65.55% |
| 2005 | 65.10% |
| 2004 | 64.22% |
| 2003 | 63.15% |
| 2002 | 62.99% |
| 2001 | 62.20% |
| 2000 | 61.23% |
| 1999 | 60.53% |
| 1998 | 60.01% |
| 1997 | 60.98% |
| 1996 | 61.46% |
| 1995 | 60.55% |
| 1994 | 58.74% |
| 1993 | 57.09% |
| 1992 | 56.59% |
| 1991 | 57.04% |
| 1990 | 58.76% |
| 1989 | 58.95% |
| 1988 | 61.10% |
| 1987 | 63.55% |
| 1986 | 63.90% |
Source, definition and dates
World Bank — World Development Indicators: Employment, New Zealand
Read the source definition
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.
Displayed values are rounded to two decimal places. Missing values remain unavailable; the recorded source values are unchanged. The sources do not endorse Voted. Full acknowledgements.
Related New Zealand indicators
Explore NZ election records · Read government history · Report an error with its source