Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in New Zealand
New Zealand: Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to was 26 Hours per week in 2025. ▲ Rising
Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in New Zealand, 2001–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Hours per week.
Analysis
The most recent figure for hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in New Zealand is 26 Hours per week, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in New Zealand peaked at 27 Hours per week in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3 Hours per week, in 2001.
That places New Zealand 1st out of 31 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Hours per week | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 3 Hours per week | — |
| 2002 | 4 Hours per week | +33.3% |
| 2003 | 4 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 12 Hours per week | +200.0% |
| 2005 | 23 Hours per week | +91.7% |
| 2006 | 24 Hours per week | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 25 Hours per week | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 26 Hours per week | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 24 Hours per week | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 24 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 23 Hours per week | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 24 Hours per week | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 23 Hours per week | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 23 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 24 Hours per week | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 24 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 24 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 25 Hours per week | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 24 Hours per week | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 26 Hours per week | +8.3% |
| 2021 | 27 Hours per week | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 27 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 27 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 26 Hours per week | -3.7% |
| 2025 | 26 Hours per week | +0.0% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 26 Hours per week is above the median for high income countries, which is 20 Hours per week, 1.3× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in New Zealand changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | +200.0% | 4 Hours per week | 12 Hours per week |
| 2005 | +91.7% | 12 Hours per week | 23 Hours per week |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.11 Hours per week | 3 Hours per week | 26 Hours per week | 9 |
| 2010s | 23.8 Hours per week | 23 Hours per week | 25 Hours per week | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.5 Hours per week | 26 Hours per week | 27 Hours per week | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 1 Czechia 26 Hours per week compare
- 1 Slovenia 31 Hours per week compare
- 2 Estonia 26 Hours per week compare
- 2 Croatia 21 Hours per week compare
- 3 Cyprus 25 Hours per week compare
- 3 Latvia 24 Hours per week compare
- 4 Poland 22 Hours per week compare
- 4 United States of America 24 Hours per week compare
- 4 Malta 24 Hours per week compare
- 4 Norway 24 Hours per week compare
- 4 Sweden 24 Hours per week compare
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 hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in New Zealand?
- Hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in New Zealand was 26 Hours per week in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 27 Hours per week in 2021.
- What is the lowest hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 Hours per week in 2001.
- How does New Zealand rank for hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to?
- New Zealand ranks 1st out of 31 countries with data for 2025.
- Is hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. 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 Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This indicator measures the working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits. Calculations for families with children assume 2 children aged 4 and 6 who do not use formal childcare.