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Colombia5.6%up 0.2 points from Q1 2026Q2 2026 · released 5 Aug 2026
+1.6 ptsover 5 years
Compare with: Compare
Get New Zealand unemployment rate updates by webhook
GET /v1/economics/NZL/unemployment
// webhook: { "type": "release.updated" }Read historical data and the release calendar by API.
Get an API keyKey data points
- Last release
- 5 Aug 2026
- Observation period
- Q2 2026
- Next release
- 3 Nov 2026, 21:45 UTC
- Previous
- 5.4% Q1 2026
- Highest
- 11.2% Q3 1991
- Lowest
- 3.2% Q4 2021
- A year ago
- 5.2%
- Data since
- 1986
New Zealand unemployment rate by year
| Year | Average | High | Low | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | 5.5% | 5.6%Q2 2026 | 5.4%Q1 2026 | ▲ +0.2 |
| 2025 | 5.3% | 5.4%Q4 2025 | 5.2%Q1 2025 | ▲ +0.2 |
| 2024 | 4.8% | 5.1%Q4 2024 | 4.4%Q1 2024 | ▲ +0.7 |
| 2023 | 3.8% | 4.0%Q4 2023 | 3.5%Q1 2023 | ▲ +0.5 |
| 2022 | 3.3% | 3.4%Q4 2022 | 3.3%Q1 2022 | ▲ +0.1 |
| 2021 | 3.8% | 4.6%Q1 2021 | 3.2%Q4 2021 | ▼ −1.4 |
| 2020 | 4.6% | 5.2%Q3 2020 | 4.1%Q2 2020 | ▲ +0.7 |
| 2019 | 4.1% | 4.2%Q1 2019 | 4.1%Q2 2019 | ▼ −0.1 |
| 2018 | 4.3% | 4.6%Q2 2018 | 4.0%Q3 2018 | ▼ −0.1 |
| 2017 | 4.8% | 4.9%Q1 2017 | 4.5%Q4 2017 | ▼ −0.4 |
| 2016 | 5.2% | 5.3%Q1 2016 | 5.0%Q3 2016 | 0.0 |
| 2015 | 5.4% | 5.7%Q3 2015 | 5.0%Q4 2015 | ▼ −0.5 |
| 2014 | 5.4% | 5.6%Q1 2014 | 5.3%Q2 2014 | ▼ −0.1 |
| 2013 | 5.8% | 6.0%Q2 2013 | 5.7%Q4 2013 | ▼ −0.1 |
| 2012 | 6.5% | 6.7%Q3 2012 | 6.3%Q4 2012 | ▼ −0.1 |
| 2011 | 6.1% | 6.1%Q2 2011 | 6.0%Q1 2011 | ▲ +0.1 |
| 2010 | 6.2% | 6.6%Q2 2010 | 5.9%Q1 2010 | ▲ +0.3 |
| 2009 | 5.9% | 6.6%Q4 2009 | 5.0%Q1 2009 | ▲ +1.6 |
| 2008 | 4.0% | 4.4%Q4 2008 | 3.8%Q1 2008 | ▲ +0.6 |
| 2007 | 3.6% | 3.9%Q1 2007 | 3.4%Q4 2007 | ▼ −0.5 |
Show all
| Year | Average | High | Low | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 3.9% | 4.1%Q1 2006 | 3.7%Q2 2006 | ▼ −0.3 |
| 2005 | 3.8% | 3.9%Q1 2005 | 3.7%Q4 2005 | ▼ −0.2 |
| 2004 | 4.0% | 4.3%Q1 2004 | 3.7%Q4 2004 | ▼ −0.6 |
| 2003 | 4.8% | 5.0%Q1 2003 | 4.5%Q3 2003 | ▼ −0.3 |
| 2002 | 5.3% | 5.5%Q3 2002 | 5.1%Q4 2002 | ▼ −0.2 |
| 2001 | 5.5% | 5.6%Q4 2001 | 5.4%Q2 2001 | ▲ +0.1 |
| 2000 | 6.2% | 6.5%Q1 2000 | 5.8%Q4 2000 | ▼ −0.7 |
| 1999 | 7.1% | 7.5%Q1 1999 | 6.4%Q4 1999 | ▼ −1.1 |
| 1998 | 7.7% | 7.9%Q2 1998 | 7.4%Q1 1998 | ▲ +0.5 |
| 1997 | 6.9% | 7.0%Q3 1997 | 6.7%Q1 1997 | ▲ +0.3 |
| 1996 | 6.3% | 6.5%Q3 1996 | 6.2%Q2 1996 | ▼ −0.2 |
| 1995 | 6.4% | 6.8%Q1 1995 | 6.2%Q3 1995 | ▼ −0.4 |
| 1994 | 8.4% | 9.3%Q1 1994 | 7.6%Q4 1994 | ▼ −1.7 |
| 1993 | 9.8% | 10.2%Q2 1993 | 9.4%Q4 1993 | ▼ −0.7 |
| 1992 | 10.7% | 11.0%Q1 1992 | 10.5%Q2 1992 | ▼ −0.4 |
| 1991 | 10.6% | 11.2%Q3 1991 | 9.8%Q1 1991 | ▲ +1.2 |
| 1990 | 8.0% | 8.9%Q4 1990 | 7.2%Q1 1990 | ▲ +1.7 |
| 1989 | 7.3% | 7.5%Q2 1989 | 7.1%Q1 1989 | ▲ +0.2 |
| 1988 | 5.8% | 6.4%Q3 1988 | 5.0%Q1 1988 | ▲ +1.3 |
| 1987 | 4.2% | 4.4%Q4 1987 | 4.1%Q1 1987 | ▲ +0.3 |
| 1986 | 4.2% | 4.3%Q4 1986 | 4.1%Q2 1986 | ▲ +0.1 |
Download history
Preview
4 observations · Q1 2025 to Q4 2025
| Date or period | Value · Percent | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | 5.2% | Stats NZ |
| Q2 2025 | 5.2% | Stats NZ |
| Q3 2025 | 5.3% | Stats NZ |
| Q4 2025 | 5.4% | Stats NZ |
Indicator info
- Category
- Labour
- Source
- Stats NZ
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Units
- Percent
The share of the labour force that is out of work and actively looking for a job.
Related indicators
Reports
Released 5 Aug 20265.6%Q2 2026
In 21 days
Next release, 21:45 UTC3 Nov 2026Q3 2026
History
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | 5.6% | +0.2 |
| Q1 2026 | 5.4% | 0.0 |
| Q4 2025 | 5.4% | +0.1 |
| Q3 2025 | 5.3% | +0.1 |
| Q2 2025 | 5.2% | 0.0 |
| Q1 2025 | 5.2% | +0.1 |
| Q4 2024 | 5.1% | +0.2 |
| Q3 2024 | 4.9% | +0.2 |
| Q2 2024 | 4.7% | +0.3 |
| Q1 2024 | 4.4% | +0.4 |
| Q4 2023 | 4.0% | +0.1 |
| Q3 2023 | 3.9% | +0.2 |
| Q2 2023 | 3.7% |
Common questions
What is the unemployment rate in New Zealand now?
The unemployment rate in New Zealand was 5.6% in Q2 2026, up 0.2 points from Q1 2026. The figure was released on 5 Aug 2026.
When is the next unemployment rate release for New Zealand?
The next release is scheduled for 3 Nov 2026, 21:45 UTC, covering Q3 2026.
What are the highest and lowest values of the unemployment rate in New Zealand?
In data since 1986, the highest was 11.2% in Q3 1991 and the lowest was 3.2% in Q4 2021.
Where does this data come from?
Published by Stats NZ, and shown here exactly as published. Publishers revise figures, and the latest published figure replaces the earlier one.