Share of population with no formal education in New Zealand
New Zealand: Share of population with no formal education was 1.7% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population with no formal education in New Zealand, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 1.7% for share of population with no formal education in 2020.
That represents a change of up 54.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in New Zealand peaked at 29.1% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1990.
New Zealand ranks 76th of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population with no formal education in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 29.1% | — |
| 1875 | 27.7% | -4.8% |
| 1880 | 25.4% | -8.3% |
| 1885 | 21.8% | -14.2% |
| 1890 | 18.8% | -13.8% |
| 1895 | 15.6% | -17.0% |
| 1900 | 12.9% | -17.3% |
| 1905 | 9.8% | -24.0% |
| 1910 | 8.9% | -9.2% |
| 1915 | 6.8% | -23.6% |
| 1920 | 5.2% | -23.5% |
| 1925 | 4.3% | -17.3% |
| 1930 | 3.0% | -30.2% |
| 1935 | 2.3% | -23.3% |
| 1940 | 2.3% | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 2.0% | -13.0% |
| 1950 | 1.7% | -15.0% |
| 1955 | 1.5% | -11.8% |
| 1960 | 1.6% | +6.7% |
| 1965 | 1.9% | +18.7% |
| 1970 | 1.7% | -10.5% |
| 1975 | 0.5% | -70.6% |
| 1980 | 0.7% | +40.0% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | -57.1% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | -66.7% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.2% | +100.0% |
| 2010 | 1.1% | +450.0% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | +27.3% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | +21.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 28.4% | 27.7% | 29.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 23.6% | 21.8% | 25.4% | 2 |
| 1890s | 17.2% | 15.6% | 18.8% | 2 |
| 1900s | 11.4% | 9.8% | 12.9% | 2 |
| 1910s | 7.8% | 6.8% | 8.9% | 2 |
| 1920s | 4.8% | 4.3% | 5.2% | 2 |
| 1930s | 2.6% | 2.3% | 3.0% | 2 |
| 1940s | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 2 |
| 1950s | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 1.1% | 0.5% | 1.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
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 share of population with no formal education in New Zealand?
- Share of population with no formal education in New Zealand was 1.7% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population with no formal education recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 29.1% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1990.
- How does New Zealand rank for share of population with no formal education?
- New Zealand ranks 76th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 54.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.