Trust in government in New Zealand
New Zealand: Trust in government was 50.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Trust in government in New Zealand, 2007–2024
Source: OECD (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 50.5% for trust in government in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.4% on the previous year and down 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trust in government in New Zealand peaked at 64.3% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 50.5%, in 2024.
That places New Zealand 13th out of 47 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Trust in government in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 61.0% | — |
| 2010 | 55.0% | -9.8% |
| 2013 | 59.7% | +8.5% |
| 2016 | 60.7% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 64.3% | +6.0% |
| 2022 | 59.0% | -8.3% |
| 2024 | 50.5% | -14.4% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 50.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 42.8%, 1.2× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 50.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 49.8%, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 61.0% | 61.0% | 61.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 59.9% | 55.0% | 64.3% | 4 |
| 2020s | 54.8% | 50.5% | 59.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More social development data for New Zealand
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,148 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trust in government in New Zealand?
- Trust in government in New Zealand was 50.5% in 2024, according to OECD (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest trust in government recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 64.3% in 2019.
- What is the lowest trust in government recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.5% in 2024.
- How does New Zealand rank for trust in government?
- New Zealand ranks 13th out of 47 countries with data for 2024.
- Is trust in government rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Trust in government. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of respondents replying "yes" to the question "In this country, do you have confidence in national government, or not?"