According to Statistics New Zealand, the pay gap between men and women stood at 5.2% in the quarter ending June 2025, a decrease from 8.2% in the same period last year.
The gender pay gap refers to the difference between the average earnings of men and women.
Mind the Gap co-founder of campaign group Dellwyn Stuart said the figure indicates “a trend in the right direction,” although further progress is necessary.
Stuart said the losing gap is the result of “a few good interventions” over the past five years.
“I think it’s on the back of the very successful Mind the Gap campaign and the work that the public service did under the last government around mandating pay gap measurement and reporting.
“And then for this government, it followed up by creating a gender pay gap toolkit that’s freely available. So there has been quite a few good interventions in the last five years, and I think we’re seeing that impact now.
“But we need more information, and there is more to go. Any pay gap based on gender or ethnicity is unacceptable.”
Stuart explained that while Stats NZ’s new figure provides a broad overview of the overall gap, Pasifika and Māori women experience a larger pay disparity.
“I’d be interested to see if their pay gaps have also shrunk in a way that is significant,” she said.
Meanwhile, Stats NZ labour market spokeswoman Abby Johnston said the data revealed the smallest pay gap recorded since 1998.
Stats NZ explained that the gap has narrowed due to women experiencing greater increases in median hourly earnings from wages and salaries compared to men.