New Zealand teachers work nearly five hours more than OECD average

Teachers in New Zealand work nearly five hours more per week than their counterparts across developed economies, highlighting the demands of the profession even as many remain satisfied with their overall employment conditions, a new OECD report has found.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Education at a Glance 2026 report found that teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand work an average of 45.6 hours a week, compared with 40.8 hours across the OECD’s 38 member countries.

The workload also exceeds that of similarly qualified workers in New Zealand, who average 41.9 hours per week.

Job satisfaction exceeds salary satisfaction

Despite their longer working hours, most teachers surveyed expressed satisfaction with their overall employment conditions, although views on pay were less positive.

According to a 2024 OECD survey of lower secondary teachers cited in the report, 72.8% of New Zealand teachers were satisfied with their overall terms of employment. However, only 51.5% said they were satisfied with their salaries.

New Zealand’s figures were nevertheless higher than the international averages. Across participating countries, about 68% of teachers were satisfied with their overall employment conditions, while just 39% were satisfied with their pay.

Teacher retention figures also offered a relatively positive picture. In 2024 and 2025, 6% of qualified teachers left the profession through resignation or retirement, slightly below the international average of 6.4%.

Teacher qualifications and student ratios

The report also examined teacher qualifications and staffing levels across the education system.

About 8.2% of primary and secondary teachers in New Zealand public schools were not fully qualified, a proportion broadly in line with the OECD average.

Student-to-teaching-staff ratios showed differing trends across school levels. In primary schools, the ratio remained unchanged at one staff member for every 16 students between 2015 and 2024, compared with the OECD average of one to 14.

In lower secondary schools, the ratio increased from 16 students per staff member in 2015 to 17 in 2024. Upper secondary schools recorded a ratio of one staff member for every 13 students, matching the OECD average across lower and upper secondary education.

International comparisons showed higher ratios in the United Kingdom, where primary schools had 20 students per staff member and lower secondary schools had 17. Data for upper secondary education was unavailable.

Australia recorded a primary-school ratio of one staff member for every 14 students, compared with 15 in the previous reported figure. Secondary-level data was unavailable.

Future teacher demand remains uncertain

Looking ahead, the OECD report cautioned that changes in student numbers alone would not determine New Zealand’s future demand for teachers.

Between 2024 and 2033, the number of children aged five to 14 is projected to decline by 6%. However, the report said regional differences and policy decisions would also influence staffing needs and student-to-teacher ratios.

The number of primary teachers in post had increased by 5%, compared with a 4% rise in the number of new primary students, according to the report.

While these figures provide an indication of recent workforce trends, the OECD said it was not possible to predict precisely how many additional teachers would be needed, or whether demand would fall, in the years ahead.

The findings underline the complexity of workforce planning for New Zealand’s schools, where longer working hours, pay satisfaction, staffing ratios and changing student populations will all shape the profession’s future.