Labor force, female in New Zealand
New Zealand: Labor force, female was 1.46 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in New Zealand, 1990–2025
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, female in New Zealand stood at 1.46 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 22.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in New Zealand peaked at 1.46 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 699,572, in 1990.
New Zealand ranks 100th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 699,572 | — |
| 1991 | 740,020 | +5.8% |
| 1992 | 745,002 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 752,053 | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 778,116 | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 800,613 | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 833,064 | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 843,320 | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 850,998 | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 862,576 | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 871,651 | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 893,032 | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 922,265 | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 948,607 | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 974,648 | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 1.01 million | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 1.03 million | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 1.05 million | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 1.07 million | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 1.08 million | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 1.09 million | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 1.11 million | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 1.12 million | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 1.13 million | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 1.17 million | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 1.19 million | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 1.24 million | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 1.28 million | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 1.31 million | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 1.33 million | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 1.35 million | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 1.37 million | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 1.39 million | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.44 million | +3.5% |
| 2024 | 1.45 million | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 1.46 million | +0.6% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 1.46 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.45 million, 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 1.46 million is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.70 million, 86% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 790,533 | 699,572 | 862,576 | 10 |
| 2000s | 985,394 | 871,651 | 1.08 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.20 million | 1.09 million | 1.33 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.41 million | 1.35 million | 1.46 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More gender data for New Zealand
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 907.87 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.6435 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 4,499 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 4,499 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.7305 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 28,751 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 30,320 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 29,075 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 30,663 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 29,141 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in New Zealand?
- Labor force, female in New Zealand was 1.46 million in 2025, according to World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 1.46 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 699,572 in 1990.
- How does New Zealand rank for labor force, female?
- New Zealand ranks 100th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division, published as part of Labor force, female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Female labor force comprises women ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.