The New Zealand technology sector is a significant contributor to the New Zealand economy, creating many jobs, GDP and exports.
Economic Impact

New Zealand’s Tech Sector had
23,229
Companies in 2020
Source: Statistic NZ 2021

New Zealand’s Tech Sector employed
111,760
People in 2020
Source: Statistics NZ 2021

NZ’s Top 200 Tech Exporters reported
$13.9b
Revenues in 2021
Source: TIN Report 2021

NZ‘s Top 200 Tech Exporters revenues grew
11.5%
2020 to 2021
Source: TIN Report 2021

New Zealand’s Tech Sector employs
5%
of the NZ workforce
Source: Statistic NZ 2021

Each new Tech Sector job creates
4.8
new jobs
Source: NZTech Digital Nation Report 2016

New Zealand’s Tech Sector contributes
8%
to GDP
Source: NZTech Digital Nation Report 2016

Each 4% growth in Tech Sector productivity creates
$2.7b
additional GDP
Source: NZTech Digital Nation Report 2016
Exports

New Zealand’s Tech Sector exported
$8.6b
globally
Source: Statistic NZ 2021

New Zealand’s Tech Sector exports grew
10.8%
between 2019 and 2020
Source: Statistics NZ 2021

NZ’s Top 200 Tech Exporters overseas sales
$10.4b
*some of which stays offshore
Source: TIN Report 2021

NZ‘s Top 200 Tech Exporters overseas sales grew
14.4%
between 2020 to 2021
Source: TIN Report 2021

New Zealand’s Tech Sector is the country’s
2nd
largest export sector
Source: Statistic NZ 2021 H1 2021

New Zealand’s Tech Sector exports makes up
10%
of all exports in 2020
Source: Statistics NZ 2021

New Zealand’s Digital (ICT) exports grew
23%
between 2020 to 2021
Source: Statistics NZ 2021

New Zealand’s Tech Manufacturing exports grew
6%
between 2020 to 2021
Source: Statistics NZ 2021
Investment

Angel and VC investment into early stage Tech Firms was
$160m
in 2020
Source: NZGCP and TIN Research 2021

Investment into early stage Tech Firms grew
48%
between 2019 to 2020
Source: NZGCP and TIN Research 2021

Private equity and VC fund investment into Tech Firms was
$2.4b
in 2020
Source: NZ Private Capital Monitor 2021

Growth in capital investment into the Tech Sector grew
111%
between 2019 to 2021
Source: NZ Private Capital Monitor 2021

96
Early stage Angel and VC deals completed in 2020
Source: NZGCP and TIN Research 2021

15
New Zealand Tech Firms were acquired in 2020
Source: Scale-Up 2020

7
New Zealand Tech Firms underwent an IPO in 2020
Source: Scale-Up 2020

74%
of early stage funding of Tech Firms was invested in Auckland
Source: NZGCP 2020
R&D

New Zealand’s Tech Sector invested
$924m
in R&D in 2020
Source: Statistic NZ 2021

New Zealand’s Tech Sector R&D accounts for
1/3rd
of NZ’s R&D investment
Source: Statistics NZ 2021

New Zealand’s Tech Sector employs
6,300
R&D staff
Source: Statistics NZ 2021

NZ‘s Top 200 R&D spend grew
14.3%
between 2020 to 2021
Source: TIN Report 2021

The investment in R&D by the New Zealand Tech Sector
Quadrupled
over past 10 years
Source: Statistic NZ 2021

The number of R&D staff in the New Zealand Tech Sector
Tripled
over past 10 years
Source: Statistics NZ 2021

NZ’s Top 200 Tech Exporters spend
$11.1%
of revenue on R&D
So1urce: TIN Report 2021

New Zealand’s Digital (ICT) firms spend
17.7%
of revenue on R&D
Source: TIN Report 2021
Employment

New Zealand’s Tech Sector employed
111,760
people in 2020
Source: Statistic NZ 2021

New Zealand’s Tech Sector employed
5%
of the NZ workforce
Source: Statistics NZ 2021

New Zealand’s Tech Sector median base salary
$100,000
per annum
Source: Absolute IT Survey 2021

NZ‘s Top 200 Tech Exporters employ
57,262
people globally
Source: TIN Report 2021

27%
of New Zeeland’s IT workforce are Women
Source: Digital Skills Aotearoa Report 2021

4%
of New Zealand’s IT workforce is Māori
Source: Digital Skills Aotearoa Report 2021

2.8%
of New Zealand’s IT workforce is Pasifika
Source: Digital Skills Aotearoa Report 2021

50%
of New Zealand’s Tech Sector employees are in Auckland
Source: Statistics NZ 2021
Education

13,403
Year 13 students enrolled in digital tech courses in 2020
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

28%
of Year 13 students enrolled in digital tech courses in 2020 were female
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

12%
more Year 9-13 students enrolled in digital tech courses in 2020
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

2,250
students moved into IT degree courses from school in 2020
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

11,905
Computer science, InfoTech & Software Engineering domestic students studying IT degree level in 2020
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

-3%
of domestic students studying IT degree level qualifications decreased in 2020
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

2,400
Computer Science, InfoTech & Software Engineering domestic students graduated with IT degrees in 2020
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

-7%
Domestic students graduating with IT degree level qualifications decreased in 2020
Source: Statistics NZ 2021

26%
of students studying IT courses in 2020 were female
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

10%
of students studying IT courses were Māori
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

7%
of students studying IT courses were Pasifika
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

9%
of students studying IT courses in 2020 were over 40 years old
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

425
Female students graduated with IT degrees in 2020
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

120
Māori students graduated with IT degrees in 2020
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

85
Pasifika students graduated with IT degrees in 2020
Source: Ministry of Education 2021

80
Students over 40 graduated with IT degrees in 2020
Source: Ministry of Education 2021
2020 data updated in November 2021
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