Primary education, pupils in New Zealand
New Zealand: Primary education, pupils was 383,018 in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
383,018
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
120th
of 206 countries
All-time high
400,445
in 1970
All-time low
312,773
in 1989
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Primary education, pupils in New Zealand, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 383,018 for primary education, pupils in 2024.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in New Zealand peaked at 400,445 in 1970 and was at its lowest, 312,773, in 1989.
New Zealand ranks 120th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Primary education, pupils in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 400,445 | — |
| 1971 | 396,878 | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 394,199 | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 391,467 | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 388,996 | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 391,399 | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 393,695 | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 394,517 | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 393,536 | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 390,221 | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 381,262 | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 367,986 | -3.5% |
| 1982 | 359,011 | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 346,797 | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 337,956 | -2.5% |
| 1985 | 329,337 | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 320,373 | -2.7% |
| 1987 | 317,470 | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 312,998 | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 312,773 | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 318,568 | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 316,107 | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 317,286 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 322,984 | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 331,666 | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 345,236 | +4.1% |
| 1996 | 348,098 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 357,569 | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 362,413 | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 360,621 | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 359,555 | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 355,532 | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 354,421 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 356,442 | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 353,062 | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 352,845 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 350,810 | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 349,080 | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 348,160 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 347,674 | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 348,492 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 347,349 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 347,594 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 353,285 | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 360,206 | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 368,306 | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 377,073 | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 384,251 | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 388,279 | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 387,996 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 387,103 | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 384,843 | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 375,656 | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 378,663 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 383,018 | +1.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 383,018 is above the median for high income countries, which is 236,668, 1.6× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 383,018 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 227,656, 1.7× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 393,535 | 388,996 | 400,445 | 10 |
| 1980s | 338,596 | 312,773 | 381,262 | 10 |
| 1990s | 338,055 | 316,107 | 362,413 | 10 |
| 2000s | 352,758 | 347,674 | 359,555 | 10 |
| 2010s | 366,283 | 347,349 | 388,279 | 10 |
| 2020s | 381,857 | 375,656 | 387,103 | 5 |
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 primary education, pupils in New Zealand?
- Primary education, pupils in New Zealand was 383,018 in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 400,445 in 1970.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 312,773 in 1989.
- How does New Zealand rank for primary education, pupils?
- New Zealand ranks 120th out of 206 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.