Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand
New Zealand: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 9.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand, 2005–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand is 9.2%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 18.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand peaked at 12.9% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 9.0%, in 2019.
New Zealand ranks 75th of 126 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 12.9% | — |
| 2013 | 12.1% | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 11.2% | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 9.7% | -13.3% |
| 2016 | 9.1% | -7.0% |
| 2017 | 9.9% | +8.7% |
| 2018 | 9.4% | -5.1% |
| 2019 | 9.0% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 9.4% | +5.0% |
| 2021 | 10.4% | +10.1% |
| 2022 | 9.9% | -4.9% |
| 2023 | 9.5% | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 9.2% | -3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.9% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 10.0% | 9.0% | 12.1% | 7 |
| 2020s | 9.7% | 9.2% | 10.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 72 India 9.6% compare
- 73 Switzerland 9.5% compare
- 74 Madagascar 9.3% compare
- 76 El Salvador 9.1% compare
- 77 Latvia 8.9% compare
- 78 Belgium 8.7% compare
More education data for New Zealand
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand?
- Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand was 9.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 12.9% in 2005.
- What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.0% in 2019.
- How does New Zealand rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
- New Zealand ranks 75th out of 126 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Education programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release