NZ Report Card 2025: A Year of Global Bragging Rights and Domestic Hurdles
By Alexander Gillespie (Specially adapted for Lions Roar News)
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (December 29, 2025) – As 2025 draws to a close, New Zealand finds itself in a familiar position: a global leader in democratic values but a nation struggling with deep-seated social and economic challenges at home. In his annual “Report Card,” University of Waikato Professor Alexander Gillespie has graded the country across 28 key indicators, offering a sobering look at how the “Team of Five Million” is actually faring.
This analysis is particularly important for the Sri Lankan community living in New Zealand, providing a clear picture of the economic and social environment they navigate daily. While the nation remains near the top of the class for freedom and peace, the domestic verdict is clear: “Shows great potential but needs to try harder.”
Note on Sources: This article was originally published byThe Conversation and written by Professor Alexander Gillespie. This comprehensive summary has been abstracted by Lions Roar News from theRNZwebsite to ensure our community can access these vital insights in an easy-to-read format. Specially from their own language
🌟 Top of the Class: Global Leaders
New Zealand continues to be a beacon of civil liberty and safety on the world stage.
- Civil Liberties: Freedom House awarded NZ a near-perfect 99/100, ranking it 2nd equal globally with Norway.
- Safety & Security: The Global Peace Index moved NZ up to 3rd place (behind Iceland and Ireland), making it the safest nation in the Asia-Pacific.
- Rule of Law: The World Justice Project ranked NZ 5th globally, reflecting a continued commitment to legal transparency.
- Quality of Life: The Economist ranked Auckland the 7th most liveable city in the world.
📉 Mixed Results: Doing Well, but Slipping
In several areas, New Zealand remains “mostly free” or “mostly happy,” but the downward trend is noticeable.
- Economic Freedom: Slipped from 6th to 11th place.
- Happiness: Now the 12th most-cheery nation, down one spot from last year.
- Media Freedom: A bright spot—NZ climbed back to 16th place in the Press Freedom Index.
- Innovation: Dropped to 26th place globally.
- Terrorism Risk: A significant improvement of 42 places, now ranked 94th (Very Low Risk).
⚠️ Room for Improvement: The Economic Struggle
For Sri Lankans living in NZ, the economic numbers tell a story of a “difficult year” for household budgets.
- Unemployment: Rose to 5.3% in the September quarter, now officially above the OECD average.
- Inflation: After falling rapidly, it has pushed back to 3.0%—higher than the 2.4% target anticipated earlier.
- Incomes: While median weekly earnings rose to $1,380, they failed to keep pace with the inflation rate.
- Housing: Average house prices sit at $907,274. While lower than the 2022 peak, affordability remains a major hurdle.
🛑 Must Do Better: The Social Deficit
The most concerning grades on the 2025 report card come from the social and environmental sectors.
- Climate Change: Ranked 44th globally; categorized as a “low performer.”
- Child Poverty: One in seven children still live in households experiencing material hardship.
- Crime & Gangs: Patched gang members passed 10,000 for the first time, and prison populations surged past 10,680.
- Mental Health: UNICEF ranked NZ a disappointing 32nd for youth mental health.
- Brain Drain: Net migration was the lowest since 2013, with over 46,400 Kiwis leaving for Australia this year alone.
