This Survey is published on the responsibility of the Economic and Development Review Committee of the OECD, which is charged with the examination of the economic situation of member countries.

The economic situation and policies of New Zealand were reviewed by the Committee on 13 May 2019. The draft report was then revised in the light of the discussions and given final approval as the agreed report of the whole Committee on 13 June 2019.

The Secretariat’s draft report was prepared for the Committee by David Carey, Andrew Barker and Carrie Exton under the supervision of Vincent Koen. Statistical research assistance was provided by Isabelle Luong, editorial assistance by Sisse Nielsen and the Survey was prepared for production by Carolina Gonzalez. The Survey also benefitted from contributions by Andrés Fuentes-Hutfilter, Valéry Dugain, Lara Fleischer and Margreet Frieling.

The previous Survey of New Zealand was issued in June 2017.

Information about the latest as well as previous Surveys and more information about how Surveys are prepared is available at www.oecd.org/eco/surveys.

    
Basic Statistics of New Zealand, 2018
(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)1

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE

Population (million, 2017)

4.8

Population density per km² (2017)

18.2

(37.7)

Under 15 (%, 2017)

19.8

(17.9)

Life expectancy (years, 2017)

81.7

(80.3)

Over 65 (%, 2017)

15.3

(16.8)

Men (2017)

80.0

(77.7)

Foreign born (%, 2014)

22.2

Women (2017)

83.4

(83.0)

Latest 5-year average growth (%)

1.7

(0.6)

Latest general election

September 2017

ECONOMY

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Value added shares (%, OECD: 2017)

In current prices (billion USD)

203.1

Primary sector

6.2

(2.4)

In current prices (billion NZD)

293.2

Industry including construction

22.0

(27.3)

Latest 5-year average real growth (%)

3.3

(2.3)

Services

71.8

(70.3)

Per capita (000 USD PPP, 2017)

40.0

(44.7)

 

 

 

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Per cent of GDP

Expenditure (2017)

37.0

(40.3)

Gross financial debt (OECD: 2017)

35.5

(112.4)

Revenue (2017)

38.2

(38.1)

Net financial debt (OECD: 2017)

0.0

(69.4)

EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS

Exchange rate (NZD per USD)

1.44

Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)

PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)

1.45

Food and live animals

55.9

In per cent of GDP

Crude materials, inedible, except fuels

13.3

Exports of goods and services

28.1

(56.2)

Manufactured goods

6.5

Imports of goods and services

28.2

(52.0)

Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)

Current account balance

-3.7

(0.3)

Machinery and transport equipment

39.0

Net international investment position (2017)

-55.3

Miscellaneous manufactured articles

13.2

Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials

11.9

LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION

Employment rate (aged 15 and over, %)

77.5

(68.4)

Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (aged 15 and over, %)

4.3

(5.3)

Men

82.1

(76.0)

Youth (aged 15-24, %)

11.5

(11.1)

Women

73.0

(60.9)

Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %, 2017)

0.7

(1.7)

Participation rate for 15-64 year-olds (%, 2017)

80.9

(72.1)

Tertiary educational attainment (aged 25-64, %, 2017)

37.7

(36.9)

Average hours worked per year (OECD: 2017)

1 756

(1 746)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP, 2015, OECD: 2016)

1.3

(2.5)

ENVIRONMENT

Total primary energy supply per capita (toe, 2017)

4.4

(4.1)

CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2016)

6.5

(9.0)

Renewables (%, 2017)

39.5

(10.2)

Water abstractions per capita (1 000 m³, 2014)

2.2

Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 μg/m³ of PM 2.5, % of population, 2017)

0.0

(58.7)

Municipal waste per capita (tonnes, 2017)

0.7

(0.5)

SOCIETY

Income inequality (Gini coefficient, 2014, OECD: 2015)

0.349

(0.315)

Education outcomes (PISA score, 2015)

Relative poverty rate (%, 2014, OECD: 2015)

10.9

(11.8)

Reading

509

(492)

Median gross household income (000 USD PPP, 2014, OECD: 2015)

25.2

(23.3)

Mathematics

495

(490)

Public and private spending (% of GDP)

Science

513

(493)

Health care (2017)

9.0

(8.8)

Share of women in parliament (%)

38.3

(29.7)

Pensions (2017, OECD: 2015)

4.8

(8.5)

Net official development assistance (% of GNI, 2017)

0.2

(0.4)

Education (public, 2017)

7.4

(4.5)

 

Note: The year is indicated in parenthesis if it deviates from the year in the main title of this table.

← 1. If the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 80% of member countries.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from databases of the following organisations: OECD, International Energy Agency, International Labour Organisation, International Monetary Fund, World Bank

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