Economic Outlook No 114 — Total employment in New Zealand
New Zealand: Economic Outlook No 114 — Total employment was 2.98 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Economic Outlook No 114 — Total employment in New Zealand, 1960–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Analysis
The most recent figure for economic outlook no 114 — total employment in New Zealand is 2.98 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, economic outlook no 114 — total employment in New Zealand peaked at 2.98 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.04 million, in 1960.
New Zealand ranks 28th of 35 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Economic Outlook No 114 — Total employment in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.04 million | — |
| 1961 | 1.07 million | +2.3% |
| 1962 | 1.09 million | +1.8% |
| 1963 | 1.11 million | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 1.14 million | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 1.18 million | +3.4% |
| 1966 | 1.22 million | +3.6% |
| 1967 | 1.25 million | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 1.23 million | -1.5% |
| 1969 | 1.26 million | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 1.30 million | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 1.32 million | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 1.33 million | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 1.38 million | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 1.44 million | +4.4% |
| 1975 | 1.46 million | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 1.49 million | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 1.51 million | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 1.50 million | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 1.52 million | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 1.52 million | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 1.53 million | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 1.54 million | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 1.53 million | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 1.57 million | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 1.63 million | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 1.62 million | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 1.62 million | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 1.57 million | -3.2% |
| 1989 | 1.52 million | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 1.53 million | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 1.51 million | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 1.51 million | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 1.54 million | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 1.61 million | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 1.69 million | +4.7% |
| 1996 | 1.74 million | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 1.75 million | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 1.74 million | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 1.77 million | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 1.80 million | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 1.84 million | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 1.90 million | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 1.95 million | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 2.02 million | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 2.08 million | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 2.13 million | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 2.17 million | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 2.18 million | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 2.15 million | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 2.15 million | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 2.19 million | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 2.19 million | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 2.22 million | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 2.31 million | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 2.37 million | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 2.48 million | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 2.59 million | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 2.66 million | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 2.70 million | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 2.73 million | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 2.79 million | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 2.84 million | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 2.92 million | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 2.93 million | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 2.98 million | +1.4% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 2.98 million is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.03 million, 59% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.16 million | 1.04 million | 1.26 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.42 million | 1.30 million | 1.52 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.57 million | 1.52 million | 1.63 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.64 million | 1.51 million | 1.77 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.02 million | 1.80 million | 2.18 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.39 million | 2.15 million | 2.70 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.86 million | 2.73 million | 2.98 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More economy & growth data for New Zealand
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.71 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.37 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 23.86 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0001 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 4.48 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 3.61 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 104.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0137 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 677.46 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 27.59 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is economic outlook no 114 — total employment in New Zealand?
- Economic outlook no 114 — total employment in New Zealand was 2.98 million in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest economic outlook no 114 — total employment recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 2.98 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest economic outlook no 114 — total employment recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.04 million in 1960.
- How does New Zealand rank for economic outlook no 114 — total employment?
- New Zealand ranks 28th out of 35 countries with data for 2025.
- Is economic outlook no 114 — total employment rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.6%. 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 Economic Outlook No 114 — Total employment (labour force survey basis). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
The OECD Economic Outlook presents the OECD’s analysis of the major global economic trends and prospects for the next two years. The Outlook puts forward a consistent set of projections for output, employment, government spending, prices and current balances based on a review of each member country and of the induced effect on each of them on international developments. EO114 Database inventory EO114 Last historical points OECD Economic Outlook website: https://www.oecd.org/economic-outlook/ Contact: eco.outlook@oecd.org