New Zealand: Primary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, New Zealand's primary education, teachers rose 0.1% on 2023 (from 26,583 to 26,597).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2023), the average change was +1.8% and a typical year strayed about 3.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 9.7% in 1990 and the biggest yearly fall was 22.3% in 1982. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 131.79 a year. A straight line explains 67% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, New Zealand had the 61st highest value of the 108 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to New Zealand in the 2024 ranking

• Georgia — 58th of 108: 32,424
• Finland — 59th of 108: 30,824
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 60th of 108: 28,284
• Mauritania — 62nd of 108: 24,560
• Bulgaria — 63rd of 108: 22,710
• Belarus — 64th of 108: 22,228

What this measures

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The precision of this indicator can be influenced by the enumeration method used, such as headcount or 'full-time equivalent' count of teachers.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 46 values

Primary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 3,846 (2024)
• Cambodia — 46,016 (2024)
• China — 6.74 million (2024)
• Fiji — 6,295 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 28,284 (2024)
• Indonesia — 1.51 million (2025)
• Japan — 440,864 (2023)
• Kiribati — 734 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 173,133 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 21,845 (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 2,896 (2024)

More education data for New Zealand

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 383,018 (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 562,417 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.03 (2020)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.05 (2020)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is New Zealand's primary education, teachers?

26,597 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 38.79% from 19,163 in 1971 (0.62% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 26,809 in 2019 and the lowest 16,057 in 1988.

How does New Zealand rank?

61st highest of 108 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers unusual for New Zealand?

In 2024, New Zealand's primary education, teachers rose 0.1% on 2023 (from 26,583 to 26,597). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2023), the average change was +1.8% and a typical year strayed about 3.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.TCHR, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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