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Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in New Zealand

New Zealand: Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling was 12.88 years in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
12.88 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
20th
of 192 countries
All-time high
13.39 years
in 2011
All-time low
10.14 years
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in New Zealand, 1990–2023

0510151990200620231990: 10.1 years1991: 10.4 years1992: 10.7 years1993: 10.9 years1994: 11.2 years1995: 11.5 years1996: 11.7 years1997: 12 years1998: 12.3 years1999: 12.5 years2000: 12.8 years2001: 13.1 years2002: 13.1 years2003: 13.2 years2004: 13.2 years2005: 13.3 years2006: 13.3 years2007: 13.3 years2008: 13.3 years2009: 13.4 years2010: 13.4 years2011: 13.4 years2012: 13.4 years2013: 13.3 years2014: 13.3 years2015: 13.2 years2016: 13.3 years2017: 13.2 years2018: 13.1 years2019: 13 years2020: 12.9 years2021: 12.9 years2022: 12.9 years2023: 12.9 years

Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.

Analysis

The most recent figure for average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in New Zealand is 12.88 years, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in New Zealand peaked at 13.39 years in 2011 and was at its lowest, 10.14 years, in 1990.

That places New Zealand 20th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.34 years 10.14 years 12.54 years 10
2000s 13.2 years 12.8 years 13.36 years 10
2010s 13.27 years 13.04 years 13.39 years 10
2020s 12.9 years 12.88 years 12.94 years 4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 17 Finland 12.98 years compare
  2. 18 Czechia 12.96 years compare
  3. 19 Slovenia 12.95 years compare
  4. 21 Australia 12.87 years compare
  5. 22 Bahamas 12.81 years compare
  6. 23 Montenegro 12.77 years compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More education data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in New Zealand?
Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in New Zealand was 12.88 years in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 13.39 years in 2011.
What is the lowest average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 10.14 years in 1990.
How does New Zealand rank for average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling?
New Zealand ranks 20th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
Is average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling
Unit
years
Source
UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
192 places, 6,079 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.