Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in New Zealand
New Zealand: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 5.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in New Zealand, 1986–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 5.3% for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in 2025.
The figure is up 10.4% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in New Zealand peaked at 10.7% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 2022.
New Zealand ranks 94th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 40 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 4.1% | — |
| 1987 | 4.2% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 5.7% | +37.3% |
| 1989 | 7.2% | +26.7% |
| 1990 | 8.0% | +10.1% |
| 1991 | 10.6% | +33.1% |
| 1992 | 10.7% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 9.8% | -8.2% |
| 1994 | 8.4% | -14.7% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | -22.7% |
| 1996 | 6.3% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 6.8% | +8.7% |
| 1998 | 7.7% | +12.8% |
| 1999 | 7.0% | -8.9% |
| 2000 | 6.1% | -12.8% |
| 2001 | 5.4% | -11.2% |
| 2002 | 5.3% | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 4.8% | -10.1% |
| 2004 | 4.0% | -15.6% |
| 2005 | 3.8% | -5.0% |
| 2006 | 3.9% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 3.6% | -6.4% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | +12.0% |
| 2009 | 5.9% | +45.3% |
| 2010 | 6.2% | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 6.0% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 6.5% | +7.5% |
| 2013 | 5.8% | -9.9% |
| 2014 | 5.4% | -7.1% |
| 2015 | 5.4% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 5.1% | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 4.7% | -8.0% |
| 2018 | 4.3% | -8.6% |
| 2019 | 4.1% | -5.1% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | +11.9% |
| 2021 | 3.8% | -17.5% |
| 2022 | 3.3% | -12.7% |
| 2023 | 3.8% | +13.6% |
| 2024 | 4.8% | +26.4% |
| 2025 | 5.3% | +10.4% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 5.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 1.1× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 5.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.5%, 1.5× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.3% | 4.1% | 7.2% | 4 |
| 1990s | 8.2% | 6.3% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.7% | 3.6% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.4% | 4.1% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.3% | 3.3% | 5.3% | 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 unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in New Zealand?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in New Zealand was 5.3% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 1992.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 2022.
- How does New Zealand rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- New Zealand ranks 94th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.