Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in New Zealand
New Zealand: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both was 3.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in New Zealand, 2000–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in New Zealand stood at 3.2%. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.6% on the previous year and down 37.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in New Zealand peaked at 19.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 2025.
That places New Zealand 178th out of 206 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 19.3% | — |
| 2001 | 18.5% | -4.1% |
| 2002 | 17.2% | -7.0% |
| 2003 | 15.5% | -9.9% |
| 2004 | 13.2% | -14.8% |
| 2005 | 11.1% | -15.9% |
| 2006 | 9.5% | -14.4% |
| 2007 | 8.4% | -11.6% |
| 2008 | 7.6% | -9.5% |
| 2009 | 6.9% | -9.2% |
| 2010 | 6.3% | -8.7% |
| 2011 | 5.8% | -7.9% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 5.2% | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 5.1% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 5.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5.1% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5.2% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 5.1% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 4.9% | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 4.7% | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 4.4% | -6.4% |
| 2022 | 4.1% | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 3.8% | -7.3% |
| 2024 | 3.5% | -7.9% |
| 2025 | 3.2% | -8.6% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 3.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.6%, 57% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 3.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 21.0%, 15% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.7% | 6.9% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 4.9% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.2% | 4.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 175 Israel 3.6% compare
- 176 Republic of Moldova 3.5% compare
- 177 Greece 3.4% compare
- 179 Finland 2.9% compare
- 180 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2.8% compare
- 181 Turks and Caicos Islands 2.5% compare
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 out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in New Zealand?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in New Zealand was 3.2% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 19.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 2025.
- How does New Zealand rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both?
- New Zealand ranks 178th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (modelled data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release