Expenditure on secondary education in New Zealand

New Zealand: Expenditure on secondary education was 35.6% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
35.6%
Change on year
down 3.7%
World rank
60th
of 149 countries
All-time high
42.9%
in 1994
All-time low
26.1%
in 1989
Years of data
24
1973–2016

Expenditure on secondary education in New Zealand, 1973–2016

0102030401973199420161973: 30 % of government expenditure on education1974: 29.2 % of government expenditure on education1975: 31.9 % of government expenditure on education1976: 27.9 % of government expenditure on education1977: 32.5 % of government expenditure on education1978: 32.8 % of government expenditure on education1979: 34 % of government expenditure on education1980: 26.2 % of government expenditure on education1981: 30.3 % of government expenditure on education1982: 27.2 % of government expenditure on education1984: 28.6 % of government expenditure on education1985: 29.8 % of government expenditure on education1986: 29.3 % of government expenditure on education1987: 30.1 % of government expenditure on education1988: 29.5 % of government expenditure on education1989: 26.1 % of government expenditure on education1994: 42.9 % of government expenditure on education1995: 41.1 % of government expenditure on education1996: 40.2 % of government expenditure on education1997: 40.2 % of government expenditure on education2013: 37.9 % of government expenditure on education2014: 38.3 % of government expenditure on education2015: 37 % of government expenditure on education2016: 35.6 % of government expenditure on education

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.

Analysis

In 2016, expenditure on secondary education in New Zealand stood at 35.6%.

That represents a change of down 3.7% on the previous year and down 6.0% over five years.

Over the whole period, expenditure on secondary education in New Zealand peaked at 42.9% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 26.1%, in 1989.

New Zealand ranks 60th of 149 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Expenditure on secondary education in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Expenditure on secondary education (% of government expenditure on education) in New Zealand, 1973 to 2016.
Year % of government expenditure on education Change
1973 30.0%
1974 29.2% -2.7%
1975 31.9% +9.2%
1976 27.9% -12.5%
1977 32.5% +16.5%
1978 32.8% +0.7%
1979 34.0% +3.8%
1980 26.2% -23.0%
1981 30.3% +15.6%
1982 27.2% -10.1%
1984 28.6% +5.1%
1985 29.8% +4.2%
1986 29.3% -1.8%
1987 30.1% +2.9%
1988 29.5% -2.2%
1989 26.1% -11.4%
1994 42.9% +64.2%
1995 41.1% -4.1%
1996 40.2% -2.3%
1997 40.2% -0.0%
2013 37.9% -5.7%
2014 38.3% +1.1%
2015 37.0% -3.5%
2016 35.6% -3.7%

New Zealand compared with similar countries

  • New Zealand's 35.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 35.6%, 1.0× the median. (59 countries reporting)
  • New Zealand's 35.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 32.9%, 1.1× the median. (19 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Expenditure on secondary education 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.

YearChange FromTo
1994 +64.2% 26.1% 42.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 31.2% 27.9% 34.0% 7
1980s 28.6% 26.1% 30.3% 9
1990s 41.1% 40.2% 42.9% 4
2010s 37.2% 35.6% 38.3% 4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 57 Trinidad and Tobago 36.8% compare
  2. 58 Kuwait 36.2% compare
  3. 59 Republic of Moldova 36.0% compare
  4. 61 Switzerland 35.6% compare
  5. 62 Ireland 35.5% compare
  6. 63 Côte d'Ivoire 35.1% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More education data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is expenditure on secondary education in New Zealand?
Expenditure on secondary education in New Zealand was 35.6% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest expenditure on secondary education recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 42.9% in 1994.
What is the lowest expenditure on secondary education recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 26.1% in 1989.
How does New Zealand rank for expenditure on secondary education?
New Zealand ranks 60th out of 149 countries with data for 2016.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on secondary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expenditure on secondary education in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/expenditure-on-secondary-education-percent-of-government-expenditure-on-education/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure on secondary education (% of government expenditure on education)
Unit
% of government expenditure on education
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
173 places, 3,100 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Expenditure on secondary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.