Engaged Society Score in New Zealand
New Zealand: Engaged Society Score was 2.16 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2.16
Change on year
up 36.9%
World rank
20th
of 176 countries
All-time high
2.16
in 2025
All-time low
0.169
in 1853
Years of data
173
1853–2025
Engaged Society Score in New Zealand, 1853–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 2.16 for engaged society score in 2025. That is the highest value across all 173 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 36.9% on the previous year and up 27.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, engaged society score in New Zealand peaked at 2.16 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.169, in 1853.
That places New Zealand 20th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 173 years of available data.
Engaged Society Score in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1853 | 0.169 | — |
| 1854 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1855 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1856 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1857 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1858 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1859 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1860 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1861 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1862 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1863 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1864 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1865 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1866 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1867 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1868 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1869 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1870 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1871 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1872 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1873 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1874 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1875 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1876 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1877 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1878 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1879 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1881 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1882 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1883 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1884 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1886 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1887 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1888 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1889 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 0.169 | +0.0% |
| 1891 | 1.4 | +727.8% |
| 1892 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1893 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1894 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1895 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1896 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1897 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1898 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1899 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1901 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1904 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1907 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1908 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1912 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 1.13 | -19.3% |
| 1915 | 0.812 | -28.1% |
| 1916 | 0.812 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.812 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.812 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 1.06 | +31.2% |
| 1920 | 1.44 | +35.0% |
| 1921 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 1.44 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.736 | -48.8% |
| 1941 | 0.736 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.736 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.736 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.736 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.736 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 1.36 | +84.6% |
| 1947 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 1.09 | -19.8% |
| 1951 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 1.36 | +25.0% |
| 1958 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.36 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 1.64 | +20.6% |
| 1973 | 1.64 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 1.64 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.64 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 1.07 | -34.7% |
| 1977 | 1.07 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 1.07 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1.07 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1.07 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 1.07 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1.07 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1.07 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.853 | -20.5% |
| 1985 | 1.12 | +31.7% |
| 1986 | 1.12 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1.12 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1.12 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1.12 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1.12 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1.12 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.12 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.12 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.35 | +20.5% |
| 1995 | 1.35 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.35 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1.35 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.35 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.35 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.68 | +24.5% |
| 2001 | 1.68 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.68 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.68 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.68 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.68 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.7 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.7 | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.58 | -7.0% |
| 2020 | 1.58 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.58 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.58 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.58 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1.58 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 2.16 | +36.9% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 2.16 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.67, 1.3× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 2.16 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.574, 3.8× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.169 | 0.169 | 0.169 | 7 |
| 1860s | 0.169 | 0.169 | 0.169 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.169 | 0.169 | 0.169 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.169 | 0.169 | 0.169 | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.28 | 0.169 | 1.4 | 10 |
| 1900s | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.1 | 0.812 | 1.4 | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.44 | 1.44 | 1.44 | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.44 | 1.44 | 1.44 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.9852 | 0.736 | 1.36 | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.17 | 1.09 | 1.36 | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.36 | 1.36 | 1.36 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.36 | 1.07 | 1.64 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.08 | 0.853 | 1.12 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.26 | 1.12 | 1.35 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.69 | 1.68 | 1.7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.68 | 1.58 | 1.7 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.67 | 1.58 | 2.16 | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4532 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0459 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.52 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 42.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 47.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2499 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is engaged society score in New Zealand?
- Engaged society score in New Zealand was 2.16 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest engaged society score recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 2.16 in 2025.
- What is the lowest engaged society score recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.169 in 1853.
- How does New Zealand rank for engaged society score?
- New Zealand ranks 20th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is engaged society score rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Engaged Society Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 173 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which ordinary people independently discuss important policy changes among themselves, in the media, in associations or neighborhoods, or in the streets.