AOTEAROA NZ · PUBLIC SERVICE DIVERSITY · 2025
Public Service Diversity & Pay Gaps
Workforce composition, pay equity, and wellbeing data across the New Zealand Public Service.
Key Pay Gap Metrics — 2025
Gender Pay Gap (Mean)
5.9%
▼ Down from 6.1% (2024)
Gender Pay Gap (Median)
3.9%
▼ Down from 4.3% (2024)
Māori Pay Gap
4.9%
▲ Up from 4.8% (2024)
Pacific Pay Gap
17.3%
▲ Up from 17.2% (2024)
Asian Pay Gap
13.0%
▼ Down from 13.8% (2024)
Gender Pay Gap by Agency (2025)
Positive = men paid more on average | Negative = women paid more on average
Ethnic Pay Gaps Over Time (2021–2025)
| Year | Māori | Pacific | Asian |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7.2% | 20.1% | 16.5% |
| 2022 | 6.5% | 19.5% | 15.8% |
| 2023 | 5.8% | 18.4% | 14.9% |
| 2024 | 4.8% | 17.2% | 13.8% |
| 2025 | 4.9% | 17.3% | 13.0% |
Methodology note: The gender pay gap is measured using mean pay (Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission method). This differs from Stats NZ's median measure. Occupational segregation, women being more likely to work in lower-paid roles, is a key driver of the gap.
Workforce Representation — 2025
Māori Workforce
17.3%
≈ Parity (~17% population)
Pacific Workforce
8.8%
≈ Parity (~8.5% population)
Asian Workforce
13.5%
Under target (~15.5% pop.)
Rainbow Representation
9.6%
Public Service Census
Disability Representation
3.9%
Under 7.5% prevalence
Ethnic Representation by Agency (2025)
Workforce composition by ethnicity across selected agencies
Trend: Māori representation in the Public Service has increased from 12.4% in 2020 to 17.3% in 2025, now broadly reflecting population parity. Pacific representation has also grown, from 6.8% to 8.8% over the same period. Asian representation at 13.5% remains below the 15.5% population share.
Senior Leadership Representation — 2025
Women in Senior Mgmt (Tiers 1–3)
56.5%
Majority representation
Women — Tier 1 Leaders
45%
19 of 42 roles
Māori in Senior Mgmt
17.3%
≈ Workforce parity
Pacific in Senior Mgmt
4.8%
Below 8.8% workforce share
Asian in Senior Mgmt
3.8%
Below 13.5% workforce share
Senior Management vs Workforce vs Population (%)
| Ethnicity | Senior Mgmt % | Workforce % | NZ Population % | Mgmt vs Workforce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Māori | 17.3% | 17.3% | 17% | = Parity |
| Pacific | 4.8% | 8.8% | 8.5% | ▼ −4.0pp |
| Asian | 3.8% | 13.5% | 15.5% | ▼ −9.7pp |
| European/Other | 76.8% | 68.2% | 67% | ▲ +8.6pp |
Disability Representation by Management Level
% of employees identifying as having a disability, by level (2025)
Disability gap at leadership level: Disabled public servants are underrepresented at management level relative to their overall representation in the workforce. Those with mental health conditions or who are neurodivergent are also less represented in senior roles.
Turnover Rates by Ethnicity — 2025
Overall Turnover Rate
12.5%
2024/25
Māori Turnover
14.2%
Above sector average
Pacific Turnover
15.1%
Above sector average
Asian Turnover
13.8%
Above sector average
European Turnover
11.9%
Below sector average
Sick/Domestic Leave by Agency (2024/25 average days per employee)
| Agency | Avg Sick/Domestic Days |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Social Development | 15.7 days |
| Oranga Tamariki | ~13.5 days |
| Ministry of Justice | 9.7 days |
| Ministry of Education | ~9.3 days |
| Dept of Corrections | ~11.2 days |
| Inland Revenue | ~9.8 days |
| Dept of Conservation | 9.2 days |
| Stats NZ | ~6.8 days |
| Ministry of Health | ~7.4 days |
| MBIE | ~6.5 days |
| Public Service Commission | 7.3 days |
| Dept of Internal Affairs | ~6.2 days |
| The Treasury | ~4.8 days |
| Crown Law Office | ~4.5 days |
Sick Leave Usage by Management Level (2024/25)
| Group | Average Sick Days Used |
|---|---|
| Senior Managers | 4.8 days |
| Other Managers | 8.1 days |
| Non-Managers | 10.6 days |
Gross Turnover Rates by Agency (2024/25)
Annual gross turnover rate by agency (includes all exits). Source: PSC Data Drilldown 2025.
Senior manager leave trend: Senior managers use significantly less sick/domestic leave than other staff. The 2024/25 data represents a second consecutive small annual drop in senior management leave usage, following a record high in 2023.