Years of schooling in New Zealand

New Zealand: Years of schooling was 12.88 in 2023. β–² Rising

Latest (2023)
12.88
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
20th
of 192 countries
All-time high
13.39
in 2011
All-time low
10.14
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Years of schooling in New Zealand, 1990–2023

0510151990200620231990: 10.11991: 10.41992: 10.71993: 10.91994: 11.21995: 11.51996: 11.71997: 121998: 12.31999: 12.52000: 12.82001: 13.12002: 13.12003: 13.22004: 13.22005: 13.32006: 13.32007: 13.32008: 13.32009: 13.42010: 13.42011: 13.42012: 13.42013: 13.32014: 13.32015: 13.22016: 13.32017: 13.22018: 13.12019: 132020: 12.92021: 12.92022: 12.92023: 12.9

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2023, years of schooling in New Zealand stood at 12.88.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, years of schooling in New Zealand peaked at 13.39 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 10.14, in 1990.

That places New Zealand 20th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.34 10.14 12.54 10
2000s 13.2 12.8 13.36 10
2010s 13.27 13.04 13.39 10
2020s 12.9 12.88 12.94 4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 17 Finland 12.98 compare
  2. 18 Czech Republic 12.96 compare
  3. 19 Slovenia, Republic of 12.95 compare
  4. 21 Australia 12.87 compare
  5. 22 Bahamas, The 12.81 compare
  6. 23 Montenegro 12.77 compare

See the full ranking of 192 places β†’

More education data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is years of schooling in New Zealand?
Years of schooling in New Zealand was 12.88 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest years of schooling recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 13.39 in 2011.
What is the lowest years of schooling recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 10.14 in 1990.
How does New Zealand rank for years of schooling?
New Zealand ranks 20th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
Is years of schooling rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Years of schooling in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/years-of-schooling/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Years of schooling
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
192 places, 6,079 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed