Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in New Zealand
New Zealand: Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social was 30.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in New Zealand, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in New Zealand is 30.8%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in New Zealand peaked at 38.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 26.3%, in 2020.
That places New Zealand 43rd out of 127 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 38.5% | — |
| 2004 | 36.0% | -6.5% |
| 2005 | 34.6% | -3.8% |
| 2006 | 35.7% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 33.9% | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 31.2% | -8.0% |
| 2010 | 31.0% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 37.2% | +20.2% |
| 2012 | 30.6% | -17.8% |
| 2013 | 30.1% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 30.3% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 30.5% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 30.2% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 30.2% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 29.2% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 28.9% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 26.3% | -8.9% |
| 2021 | 29.4% | +11.8% |
| 2022 | 29.3% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 30.1% | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 29.9% | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 30.8% | +3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.0% | 31.2% | 38.5% | 6 |
| 2010s | 30.8% | 28.9% | 37.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.3% | 26.3% | 30.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More poverty & inequality data for New Zealand
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.67 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 9,102 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 7.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 34.71 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 34.7% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2023)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.082 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 24.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in New Zealand?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in New Zealand was 30.8% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 38.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.3% in 2020.
- How does New Zealand rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social?
- New Zealand ranks 43rd out of 127 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social protection (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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