Te iwitanga i roto i te Ratonga Tūmatanui Ethnicity in the Public Service

There is increasing ethnic diversity in the Public Service, with record levels of Pacific, Asian, and Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (MELAA) representation. Although Europeans [1] still made up the highest proportion (61.5%) in 2025, this has decreased steadily over the past 20 years. Both Māori (16.6%) and Pacific (11.4%) representation in the Public Service workforce continue at higher levels compared to the overall New Zealand working-age population (15.3% and 6.8% respectively in the year to June 2025). Pacific representation grew again this year, following increases every year since 2015. 

There was a further increase in the representation of Asian staff (16.5%), following increases in every year since 2012, although this still lags behind Asian representation in the New Zealand working-age population (18.5%). As in recent years, Asians make up a larger proportion of recruits than existing employees – this was 18.3% in 2024/25, and has contributed to the increase in Asian representation. The increase in Asian staff is particularly pronounced in Auckland where Asian staff are 30.7% of Public Service employees in 2025.  

Representation of MELAA employees in the Public Service (2.5%), has been increasing steadily since 2015 to record levels, and is higher than that in the New Zealand working-age population (1.6%). 

There is a fuller range of ethnic diversity in the Public Service workforce below these broad ethnic groups. This detailed ethnicity data was collected in the 2025 Public Service Census. For example: 

• 7.3% of respondents identified as one of the ethnicities in the Other European group 
• 6.3% as Indian 
• 5.0% as Samoan 
• 3.4% as Chinese 
• 1.9% as South East Asian 
• 1.4% as Cook Island Māori 
• 1.4% as Tongan 
• 0.7% as Fijian 
• 0.6% as Niuean 
• 0.6% as Latin American 
• 0.5% as African 
• 0.4% as Middle Eastern 
• 0.2% are people of Tokelau. 

Further breakdowns are possible for all groupings. For example, the Other European Group includes the British and Irish group, which can be further broken down into Scottish, Welsh, Irish, English, Channel Islander, and so on. 

[1]  We use the Stats NZ Ethnicity Standard to produce ethnicity statistics. The European ethnic group is predominately made up of NZ European/Pākehā employees.

There are ethnic differences in terms of Public Service occupations. European staff are over-represented in higher-paid occupations such as managers and policy analysts, while under-represented as contact centre workers. Māori staff are well represented across most occupation groupings, including managers, where they make up 16.1%. Highest representation for Māori staff is in social, health and education workers, while lowest levels are in ICT professionals and technicians and policy analysts.  

Pacific staff are well represented as contact centre workers, inspectors and regulatory officers, and social, health and education workers but less so in other professions. Asian staff are particularly well represented as ICT professionals and technicians, contact centre workers, and inspectors and regulatory officers, but are least represented as managers. 

These ethnic differences in terms of occupations are likely to reflect similar differences in the wider labour market.  For example, the 2023 New Zealand population Census results show that Europeans were more likely to be in managerial roles than other New Zealanders. 

Stats NZ European Ethnic Group Summary 

Regional factors are also likely to contribute to ethnic differences in terms of occupations.  For example, Pacific and Asian public servants are more likely to work in Auckland.  The Auckland Public Service workforce has a greater share of inspectors and regulatory officers, social, health and education workers, and contact centre workers compared to the overall Public Service workforce, and a lower share of other occupational groups. 

Ethnic composition(CSV, 1.1 MB)

Note – there has been a focus on improving the quality of Public Service workforce ethnicity information in recent years. We released a Standard for Workforce Information document that outlines expectations for departments to follow the Stats NZ statistical standard for ethnicity when collecting ethnicity information from their staff, and to work to have a high ethnic disclosure rate across their employees. There has been an increase in the share of Public Service employees who have declared their ethnicity in recent years, up from 86.1% in 2014 to more than 90% in each of the last 8 years. Some of the changes in ethnic diversity over time could be due to these increases in data quality, rather than real world changes. 

Māori make up 16.6% of the Public Service workforce as of 30 June 2025. Data from the Public Service Census indicated that in 2025, Māori public servants were affiliated to over 160 different iwi, with many Māori having whakapapa to multiple iwi. 

The following table compares Public Service workforce iwi grouping figures, with those for the New Zealand population for 2023. 

The table shows the representation of iwi in the Public Service is broadly similar to the wider population. The variation that is present may in part be explained by the regional distribution of the Public Service, with the largest proportion of the workforce (42.6%) located in the Wellington region. Other regions have 57.4% of the workforce, led by Auckland (21.3%), Canterbury (10.3%) and Waikato (6.9%).  

Ethnic diversity in senior managers 

The table below shows that European staff continue to be over-represented in each of the top 3 tiers of Public Service management, when compared with either the Public Service workforce as a whole or the wider population. Māori representation is slightly higher in the second management tier compared to those wider measures, but slightly lower in tier 1. Pacific managers are slightly down on last year while Asian senior managers continue to increase slowly – both groups remain under-represented. This under-representation is most notable for Asian staff, and is taking time and deliberate effort to increase, as they are also under-represented at lower levels of management. 

Note: The data for the following table is correct as at 30 June 2025.

As at 30 June 2025, the 42 Public Service Leaders reported being 79.5% European, 15.4% Māori, 5.1% Pacific Peoples, 5.1% Asian and 2.6% MELAA (these add up to more than 100% as it includes those with multiple ethnicities). 

Public Service leadership

As at 30 June 2025, 11.9% of the Public Service workforce were management staff, led by 42 Public Service leaders (40 secretary and chief executive and 2 Deputy Public Service Commissioner positions), 4 of whom were in acting positions. 

The latest leader profiles are available here: Who leads the Public Service 

In total, there were 1,231 senior managers (tiers 1, 2 and 3), and 6,421 other managers. The remaining 88.1% (56,511 staff) were non-management. 

Senior manager metrics (tiers 1 to 3) 

As at 30 June 2025, there were 1,231 senior managers in the Public Service (defined as the top 3 tiers of managers with chief executives being tier one). This compares to 1,327 senior managers last year. 

The percentage of women in the top 3 tiers of senior management was 56.5%, very slightly down on 56.7% last year, but following increases each year since 2013, when the proportion was 41.5%. Male representation in senior management is 42.8%.   

Senior managers reported being 76.8% European, 17.3% Māori, 4.8% Pacific peoples, 3.8% Asian and 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American or African (MELAA). These add to more than 100% as it includes those with multiple ethnicities. Although Pacific and Asian managers continue to remain under-represented compared to either the Public Service workforce or the New Zealand population, there has been improvement in representation over the past five-years: 

• Māori representation is now 17.3% (up from 17.1% in 2024 and 12.4% in 2020).   

• Pacific representation is now 4.8% (down from 5.3% in 2024 but up from 3.4% in 2020). 

• Asian representation is now 3.8% (up from 3.3% in 2024 and 2.5% in 2020). 

Annual sick and domestic leave usage for senior management was 4.8 days in 2025. This is low compared with the 8.1 days for the other managers group and 10.6 days on average for non-managerial staff. The usage of sick/domestic leave by senior management in 2025 represents a second small annual drop, following the record high seen in 2023 (5.1 days).  

Senior leaders comparison(CSV, 149 KB)

Senior leaders data table by agency(CSV, 73 KB)

Senior leaders trends(CSV, 149 KB)

Te Pae Turuki Public Service Leaders Group metrics

Te Pae Turuki Public Service Leaders Group (PSLG) was formed in 2017 with criteria revised in early 2024 to focus more on “system” leadership. Chief Executives identify which of their senior positions meet PSLG criteria. Leaders in these positions make up the membership of PSLG. 

A position will be designated as being in PSLG when it is: 

• Based in an agency where the Chief Executive is part of PSLT – any departmental agency or functional chief executives that sit outside of PSLT are also members of PSLG: 
  • and is either a tier 2 Executive Leadership Team (ELT) position, or, 
  • another senior-level position with a significant system leadership component i.e. is: 
    • responsible for initiating, shaping, and/or driving a strategy, public policy or initiative that is a Government, PSLT, or regional priority; and 
    • mostly focused outwardly on achieve those joint outcomes by: 
    • working collaboratively with senior leaders beyond its agency e.g. representatives from other agencies, sector/regional organisations, Māori, community groups, NGOs, business, etc; and/or 
    • representing this work as the key interface with Government. 

As at 30 June 2025, there were 660 members of PSLG, 49.5% male and 47.3% female (with gender was undisclosed unknown for the remainder of the members). 

Information on Te Pae Turuki Public Service Leadership Group is available here: Public Service Leaders Group

Public Service leaders metrics (tier 1) 

As at 30 June 2025, the 42 Public Service Leaders reported being 79.5% European, 15.4% Māori, 5.1% Pacific Peoples, 5.1% Asian and 2.6% MELAA (these add to more than 100% as it includes those with multiple ethnicities). 

At that same point in time, women held 19 of the 42 Public Service Leader roles, or 45% (the same as in 2024, although down from 54% at the same time in 2023). Current information can be found on the Public Service Leaders page. 

The latest leader profiles are available here: Who leads the Public Service