Share of the population with tertiary education in New Zealand
New Zealand: Share of the population with tertiary education was 39.8% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of the population with tertiary 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
In 2020, share of the population with tertiary education in New Zealand stood at 39.8%.
The figure is down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with tertiary education in New Zealand peaked at 43.7% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1870.
New Zealand ranks 9th of 111 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population with tertiary education in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0.0% | — |
| 1875 | 0.1% | — |
| 1880 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 0.2% | +100.0% |
| 1890 | 0.3% | +50.0% |
| 1895 | 0.5% | +66.7% |
| 1900 | 0.6% | +20.0% |
| 1905 | 0.8% | +33.3% |
| 1910 | 0.7% | -12.5% |
| 1915 | 1.0% | +42.9% |
| 1920 | 1.3% | +30.0% |
| 1925 | 1.6% | +23.1% |
| 1930 | 2.1% | +31.2% |
| 1935 | 2.5% | +19.0% |
| 1940 | 2.9% | +16.0% |
| 1945 | 3.3% | +13.8% |
| 1950 | 4.1% | +24.2% |
| 1955 | 4.6% | +12.2% |
| 1960 | 5.0% | +8.7% |
| 1965 | 5.4% | +8.0% |
| 1970 | 13.0% | +140.7% |
| 1975 | 21.7% | +66.9% |
| 1980 | 29.1% | +34.1% |
| 1985 | 36.3% | +24.7% |
| 1990 | 42.4% | +16.8% |
| 1995 | 41.0% | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 42.0% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 43.7% | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 40.4% | -7.6% |
| 2015 | 39.5% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 39.8% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 2 |
| 1920s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 2 |
| 1930s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 1940s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 2 |
| 1950s | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 5.2% | 5.0% | 5.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 17.4% | 13.0% | 21.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 32.7% | 29.1% | 36.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 41.7% | 41.0% | 42.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 42.9% | 42.0% | 43.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 40.0% | 39.5% | 40.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 39.8% | 39.8% | 39.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More education data for New Zealand
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 186,396 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.9363 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.0352 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 196,622 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.0372 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 562,417 (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 4.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26,597 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.0527 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with tertiary education in New Zealand?
- Share of the population with tertiary education in New Zealand was 39.8% 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 the population with tertiary education recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 43.7% in 2005.
- What is the lowest share of the population with tertiary education recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1870.
- How does New Zealand rank for share of the population with tertiary education?
- New Zealand ranks 9th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population with tertiary education rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. 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 the population with tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of the population aged 25 to 65 years who have either completed or partially completed tertiary education.