Gender across all Public Service staff and gender in senior leadership.
Gender across all staff
As at 30 June 2026, women made up 61.2% of the Public Service workforce, while 37.7% were men. Information from the Public Service Census showed that those of another gender or multiple genders made up 0.6% of the Public Service workforce in 2025 (up from 0.5% in 2021) — a greater proportion than shown in administrative Workforce Data, which has stayed steady at 0.3% over the last 4 years (up from 0.1% in 2021).
At 61.2%, female representation has again dropped slightly from the record high seen in 2023 (62.2%). This compares with 50.7% in the New Zealand working-age population in the year ending June 2026 (from Stats NZ’s Household Labour Force Survey). The type of work in the Public Service may partly explain this high representation, as many Public Service occupations such as social workers, case workers and clerical and administration workers also have a high representation of women in the wider labour market. The Public Service workforce is also more highly qualified than the overall New Zealand workforce (as shown by 2025 Public Service Census results), and this may also help explain high female representation, as women have higher participation in tertiary study.
Gender in senior management
Female representation at the senior management level has increased over the past 25 years and has exceeded 50% since 2020. As at 30 June 2026, the percentage of women in the top 3 tiers of senior management was 57.6%, up from 56.5% a year earlier and up from 32.7% in 2001. It continues to remain below the proportion of women in the Public Service overall, but this gap is the smallest it’s ever been (57.6% of senior management compared to 61.2% of all staff).
Further information
Using the 2021 Public Service Census and Workforce Data, an in depth “Deep Dive” report was published, exploring the experience of women in the Public Service.
Workforce diversity - Public Service Commission Te Kawa Mataaho