Expenditure on tertiary education in New Zealand
New Zealand: Expenditure on tertiary education was 23.7% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on tertiary education in New Zealand, 1973–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expenditure on tertiary education in New Zealand is 23.7%, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.2% on the previous year and down 6.0% over five years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in New Zealand peaked at 32.8% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 23.7%, in 2016.
That places New Zealand 52nd out of 160 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 27.0% | — |
| 1974 | 26.2% | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 25.0% | -4.5% |
| 1976 | 28.8% | +15.2% |
| 1977 | 24.9% | -13.7% |
| 1978 | 24.1% | -3.2% |
| 1979 | 24.5% | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 30.7% | +25.0% |
| 1981 | 28.6% | -6.8% |
| 1982 | 28.0% | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 27.2% | -2.9% |
| 1985 | 27.7% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 29.3% | +5.9% |
| 1987 | 29.0% | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 30.9% | +6.6% |
| 1989 | 32.8% | +6.0% |
| 1994 | 26.8% | -18.4% |
| 1995 | 28.0% | +4.7% |
| 1996 | 27.3% | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 27.3% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 25.3% | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 24.9% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 25.6% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 23.7% | -7.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 23.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 21.9%, 1.1× the median. (63 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 23.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 17.3%, 1.4× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.8% | 24.1% | 28.8% | 7 |
| 1980s | 29.4% | 27.2% | 32.8% | 9 |
| 1990s | 27.3% | 26.8% | 28.0% | 4 |
| 2010s | 24.9% | 23.7% | 25.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More education data for New Zealand
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 36,426 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 12,020 (1992)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 56,552 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 53,804 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 562,417 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 383,018 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0724 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in New Zealand?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in New Zealand was 23.7% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 32.8% in 1989.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.7% in 2016.
- How does New Zealand rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- New Zealand ranks 52nd out of 160 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 tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.