Skip to main content

Story: Workforce composition

Level of qualifications, 1986–2008

Image
Level of qualifications, 1986–2008

In 1986 the most common level of qualification among the New Zealand workforce was no qualification at all. By 2008 more than half the total workforce held qualifications both from secondary school (such as School Certificate or NCEA) and post-school (such as a university degree or diploma).

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Statistics New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Paul Callister and Robert Didham, Workforce composition – Changing industries, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/22682/level-of-qualifications-1986-2008 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Paul Callister and Robert Didham, published 14 April 2010.