Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand

New Zealand: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 2.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
2.6%
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
79th
of 124 countries
All-time high
5.3%
in 2016
All-time low
2.5%
in 2023
Years of data
13
2005–2024

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand, 2005–2024

02462005201420242005: 4 %2013: 5.2 %2014: 4.9 %2015: 5.1 %2016: 5.3 %2017: 5.1 %2018: 4.6 %2019: 4.5 %2020: 4 %2021: 4.5 %2022: 2.9 %2023: 2.5 %2024: 2.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand stood at 2.6%.

The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and down 47.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand peaked at 5.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2023.

New Zealand ranks 79th of 124 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

Annual values for Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Services programmes, both sexes (%) in New Zealand, 2005 to 2024.
Year % Change
2005 4.0%
2013 5.2% +28.5%
2014 4.9% -5.8%
2015 5.1% +4.3%
2016 5.3% +3.5%
2017 5.1% -3.7%
2018 4.6% -10.0%
2019 4.5% -0.8%
2020 4.0% -10.9%
2021 4.5% +11.6%
2022 2.9% -35.4%
2023 2.5% -14.1%
2024 2.6% +2.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 1
2010s 4.9% 4.5% 5.3% 7
2020s 3.3% 2.5% 4.5% 5

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 76 Mozambique 2.9% compare
  2. 77 Algeria 2.8% compare
  3. 78 Monaco 2.7% compare
  4. 80 Cambodia 2.4% compare
  5. 81 Lithuania 2.3% compare
  6. 82 Lebanon 2.3% compare

See the full ranking of 124 places →

More education data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

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 2.6% 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 5.3% in 2016.
What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2023.
How does New Zealand rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
New Zealand ranks 79th out of 124 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 47.4%. 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 Services programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-graduates-from-tertiary-education-graduating-from-services-programmes-both-2/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Services programmes, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
124 places, 1,824 data points, 1998–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release