Sixth year in a row of equal gender representation on public sector boards

Manatū Wāhine Ministry for Women has published the latest annual stocktake of gender and ethnic diversity on public sector boards and committees.

The 2025 stocktake shows women continue to hold half of public sector board and committee roles, at 50.2 percent. This is the sixth consecutive year women’s representation has remained at or above the Government’s 50 percent target.

The data also shows continued progress in chair roles, with women holding 43.8 percent of board chair positions, up from 31.7 percent in 2015 when chair data was first collected.

The Ministry uses the stocktake to monitor progress and support appointing agencies to build diverse, skilled boards.

Minister for Women Nicola Grigg welcomed the results, saying balanced boards support better decision making and strengthen New Zealand’s productivity, growth and resilience.

Alongside the stocktake, the Ministry continues to support the pipeline of women into governance through BoardConnector, its refreshed governance database.