Women in New Zealand - statistics & facts
As of 2023, New Zealand’s rising population was made up of over 2.63 million females, overtaking the male population. Despite the increasing population, the fertility rate among women has steadily decreased over the past few years. Alongside a decreasing fertility rate, women are giving birth later in life. Women in New Zealand are also living longer than male New Zealanders, with a higher average life expectancy. The overall quality of life for women in New Zealand throughout recent years appears to be of a high standard, with women having displayed a general feeling of trust in public institutions. Along with this trust, they have exhibited high levels of job satisfaction.
While New Zealand has made great progress in closing the economic and political gap between females and males in the country, there is still work to be done to reach full gender equality.
Political achievements of women
The history of women in New Zealand involves significant political involvement. This was highlighted in 1893, with New Zealand being famed as the first self-governing country in the world to give women the right to vote. Propelling the female voice further, the share of female voters in the ensuing election was higher than the share of male voters. Women in New Zealand continued to maintain a political presence, with the election of their first female prime minister in 1997. Subsequently, there have been a further two female prime ministers elected in New Zealand. To this day, New Zealand has one of the highest shares of women in parliament in the Asia Pacific.Equality in the workplace
The role of women in New Zealand has changed alongside an evolving world. In recent years, it appears female New Zealanders have set a new standard by marrying later in life in comparison to previous years. The number of employed women in the country has continued to increase. Although employment opportunities for women have advanced significantly, there remains the question of equality in the workplace. As of 2024, on average, men were earning a higher wage than women. The industries that employed the highest number of women in the country were the health care and social assistance industry, retail trade, accommodation, and food services industry, and the education and training sector.While New Zealand has made great progress in closing the economic and political gap between females and males in the country, there is still work to be done to reach full gender equality.
