Evaluation: Standardised testing and common progress evaluation grew to become key options of the schooling system this yr, so why not apply those self same rules to New Zealand as an entire?
There’s an essential distinction right here, in fact. This train is about prompting dialogue and debate, and must be learn with a level of warning. The metrics inform us solely a lot – however it’s nonetheless potential to hint the nation’s ups and downs.
As one yr ends and one other beckons, it may additionally be time to make some collective new yr’s resolutions based mostly on the varied developments outlined right here.
Close to the highest of the category
Civil liberty: the highest mark is from Freedom Home which underlined New Zealand’s constant near-perfect rating of 99 out of 100 for political and civil liberties – second equal with Norway, simply behind Finland.
Safety: within the International Peace Index, New Zealand moved up two slots to 3rd place globally (behind Iceland and Eire, however greatest within the Asia-Pacific) for security and safety, low home and worldwide battle, and diploma of militarisation.
Corruption: Transparency Worldwide recorded a gradual decline from being in equal high place in 2021 to fourth within the newest survey – however nonetheless comparatively corruption-free.
Gender equality: the annual International Gender Hole Report recorded New Zealand slipping a spot to fifth most gender-equal nation (however high within the Pacific area).
Rule of Legislation: a continued enchancment within the World Justice Venture’s Rule of Legislation Index noticed the nation ranked fifth globally.
High quality of life: The Economist International Liveability Index positioned Auckland seventh most habitable metropolis on the earth.
Doing properly or higher
Financial freedom: the Index for Financial Freedom, which covers every part from property rights to monetary freedom, positioned New Zealand eleventh – down from sixth final yr, however nonetheless “largely free”.
Happiness: New Zealanders aren’t fairly as completely satisfied as they have been, slipping a spot to the twelfth most-cheery nation within the World Happiness Report.
Media freedom: the nation started to climb again within the Reporters With out Borders Press Freedom Index, up from nineteenth final yr to sixteenth.
Competitiveness: New Zealand moved up a spot within the International Competitiveness Report, now in thirty first place (however nonetheless properly beneath the twentieth rating from 2021).
Innovation: on the International Innovation Index, which measures a spread of social and financial indicators, New Zealand slipped one place to twenty sixth.
Financial efficiency: The Economist ranked New Zealand because the thirty first best-performing economic system in 2025, up two locations from 2024.
International support: New Zealand’s abroad growth support continued to extend to an estimated $US780.8 million, representing 0.32 p.c of gross nationwide revenue, inserting it seventeenth amongst OECD-ranked international locations.
Terrorism: the International Terrorism Index recorded a big enchancment of 42 locations, with New Zealand now ranked 94th and “very low” threat. Whereas the nationwide terror menace stage remained low (that means a terror assault is a practical risk), this was a optimistic growth.
Room for enchancment
Synthetic intelligence: a “gentle contact” coverage strategy to synthetic intelligence (AI) regulation is not going to have improved a comparatively low forty third rating within the International Index on Accountable AI.
Employment: financial numbers at residence informed one other blended story, with unemployment rising to five.3 p.c (160,000 folks) within the September quarter – now above the OECD common.
Inflation: the inflation fee fell quickly however has now pushed again to three p.c – decrease than the anticipated OECD common of 4.2 p.c however larger than the two.4 p.c anticipated earlier.
Public housing: as of October, the whole inventory of public homes continued to develop, as much as 87,338 (a rise of 7875 because the center of 2023), however provide stays properly behind demand.
Housing affordability: good or unhealthy information in response to one’s perspective, the typical home worth was $907,274, significantly down from its peak on the flip of 2022 however largely unchanged since final yr.
Incomes: median weekly earnings from wages and salaries elevated by $37 to $1380 within the yr to June, however lagged behind the inflation fee.
Should do higher
Local weather change: the Local weather Change Efficiency Index recorded one other fall for New Zealand, now all the way down to forty fourth place and categorised as an total “low” performer.
Suicide fee: there have been 630 suspected self-inflicted deaths within the 2023–24 monetary yr (the newest out there statistics), a small improve on the yr earlier than. That represents a fee of 11 per 100,000 folks – decrease than the typical fee over the previous 15 years, though the speed of lower appears to have stalled.
Prisons: incarceration charges are rising quick, transferring previous 10,680 folks behind bars in March (up from a low of 7500 in 2022), with sturdy progress projected.
Gangs: the estimated variety of patched gang members and prospects handed the ten,000 mark for the primary time.
Little one poverty: figures from early 2025 advised little or no change within the little one poverty fee from the yr earlier than, with one in seven youngsters dwelling in households experiencing materials hardship.
Psychological well being: UNICEF scored New Zealand a lower than respected thirty second place for worsening youth psychological well being charges.
Homelessness: estimates put the doubtless quantity folks dwelling with out shelter in New Zealand at greater than 5000.
Migration: a web migration achieve within the yr to October of 12,400 was the bottom since 2013 (excluding the COVID years). This disguised a dizzying churn between arrivals (138,900) and departures (126,400), with greater than 46,400 residents leaving for Australia.
Briefly, 2025 was a tough yr. New Zealand typically scores properly or reveals enchancment on world indexes, however look nearer to residence and the satan is within the element. To borrow a phrase from old skool stories: reveals nice potential however must strive tougher.
Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Legislation, College of Waikato
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