Average years of schooling in New Zealand
New Zealand: Average years of schooling was 12.94 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling in New Zealand, 1870–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for average years of schooling in New Zealand is 12.94 years, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling in New Zealand peaked at 12.94 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.91 years, in 1870.
That places New Zealand 15th out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Average years of schooling in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 3.91 years | — |
| 1880 | 4.46 years | +14.1% |
| 1890 | 5.23 years | +17.3% |
| 1900 | 6.25 years | +19.5% |
| 1913 | 7 years | +12.0% |
| 1925 | 7.62 years | +8.8% |
| 1929 | 8.06 years | +5.8% |
| 1933 | 8.29 years | +2.9% |
| 1938 | 8.44 years | +1.8% |
| 1950 | 8.73 years | +3.4% |
| 1955 | 8.78 years | +0.6% |
| 1960 | 8.95 years | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 8.87 years | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 9.59 years | +8.1% |
| 1975 | 10.42 years | +8.6% |
| 1980 | 10.44 years | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 10.83 years | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 11.02 years | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 11.56 years | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 12.12 years | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 12.66 years | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 12.33 years | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 12.5 years | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 12.94 years | +3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 3.91 years | 3.91 years | 3.91 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 4.46 years | 4.46 years | 4.46 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 5.23 years | 5.23 years | 5.23 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 6.25 years | 6.25 years | 6.25 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 7 years | 7 years | 7 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 7.84 years | 7.62 years | 8.06 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 8.37 years | 8.29 years | 8.44 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 8.75 years | 8.73 years | 8.78 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 8.91 years | 8.87 years | 8.95 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 10 years | 9.59 years | 10.42 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 10.63 years | 10.44 years | 10.83 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 11.29 years | 11.02 years | 11.56 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.39 years | 12.12 years | 12.66 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 12.42 years | 12.33 years | 12.5 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 12.94 years | 12.94 years | 12.94 years | 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 average years of schooling in New Zealand?
- Average years of schooling in New Zealand was 12.94 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 12.94 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.91 years in 1870.
- How does New Zealand rank for average years of schooling?
- New Zealand ranks 15th out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is average years of schooling rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average number of years of total schooling (primary, secondary, and tertiary) for the population aged 15 and over.