Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in New Zealand
New Zealand: Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary was 96.7% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in New Zealand, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 96.7% for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in 2024.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in New Zealand peaked at 100.0% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 96.6%, in 2022.
New Zealand ranks 153rd of 217 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 98.8% | — |
| 2001 | 99.2% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 99.5% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 100.0% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 99.7% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 99.8% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 99.6% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 99.5% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 99.3% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 99.1% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 99.0% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 99.1% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 98.9% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 98.9% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 98.7% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 98.5% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 98.5% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 98.6% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 98.3% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 97.5% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 97.9% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 96.6% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 96.9% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 96.7% | -0.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 96.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 99.8%, 97% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 96.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 100.7%, 96% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 99.4% | 98.8% | 100.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.7% | 98.3% | 99.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.1% | 96.6% | 97.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 150 Central African Republic 96.8% compare
- 151 Saint Lucia 96.8% compare
- 152 Egypt 96.7% compare
- 154 Belize 96.5% compare
- 155 Ireland 96.5% compare
- 156 North Macedonia 96.3% 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 primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in New Zealand?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in New Zealand was 96.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2003.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.6% in 2022.
- How does New Zealand rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- New Zealand ranks 153rd out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of children of any age group who are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the official primary school age.