Public Policy
/ analysis
Budget 2026/27's spending allocations for Education from early childhood, to vocational and tertiary levels
8th Jun 26, 11:37am
by
This table outlines the New Zealand Government's planned Education spending for the 2026/27 budget year.
Actual spending for the previous five years is on the left.
The numbers are drawn from Vote Education, Vote Tertiary Education and Vote Education Review Office.
Links to the primary source used, from Treasury's website, can be found at the bottom of the page.
Please note that some of the allocation titles have been shortened for the sake of space.
Figures for each allocation are in millions of NZ$.
| Actual 2021/22 | Actual 2022/23 | Actual 2023/24 | Actual 2024/25 | Estim 2025/26 |
Budget 2026/27 | % | |
| NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | NZ$m | ||
| 3.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Education Providers with COVID-19-Related Losses of Income | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 69.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Access to Tertiary Education | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 4.5 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Careers System Online | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 8.3 | 4.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | University-led Innovation | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 0.0 | 41.7 | 77.8 | 38.6 | 0.0 | Strategic Support for National and Regional Priorities | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 50.2 | 65.0 | 65.0 | 65.0 | 0.1 | Workforce Development Councils | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 0.0 | 347.1 | 283.1 | 152.1 | 7.7 | Fees-free Payments | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 60.0 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 20.0 | Support for Place-based inititatives | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 18.2 | 22.9 | 20.8 | 23.8 | 22.3 | Supporting Parents & the Community | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 23.7 | 22.8 | The Network for Learning Limited - Increased Investment | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 29.3 | 29.7 | 29.1 | 45.2 | 31.5 | School Managed Network Funding | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 20.0 | 23.4 | 34.3 | 24.0 | 33.2 | Schooling Improvement | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 21.2 | 40.6 | 22.9 | 5.0 | 80.3 | Vocational Education | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 209.8 | 235.5 | 254.7 | 262.7 | 269.6 | School Transport | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 367.5 | 389.7 | 388.4 | 359.4 | 400.9 | Improved Quality Teaching and Learning | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 1,276.4 | 1,376.0 | 1,498.9 | 1,489.5 | 1,552.4 | Outcomes for Target Student Groups | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 2,241.0 | 2,347.2 | 2,702.5 | 2,919.0 | 3,054.8 | Early Learning | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 7,147.5 | 7,243.7 | 8,258.7 | 8,392.6 | 8,812.1 | Primary and Secondary Education | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 18.9 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 3.0 | Impairment of Debts and Assets and Debt Write-Offs | 3.0 | 0.0% |
| 19.5 | 13.2 | 12.0 | 10.8 | 58.0 | Contributions to Other Agencies | 3.6 | 0.0% |
| 42.8 | 25.8 | 16.0 | 13.3 | 7.8 | Tertiary Sector / Industry Collaboration Projects | 8.9 | 0.0% |
| 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.8 | 9.5 | 10.6 | Home Schooling Allowances | 10.5 | 0.0% |
| 11.7 | 10.4 | 10.5 | 10.7 | 13.0 | Scholarships and Awards Students | 13.0 | 0.1% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12.8 | Redress for Abuse in Care | 16.4 | 0.1% |
| 19.5 | 20.3 | 19.9 | 20.6 | 16.1 | Tertiary Scholarships and Awards | 17.2 | 0.1% |
| 31.0 | 42.3 | 79.5 | 24.0 | 24.0 | Support for Wānanga | 24.0 | 0.1% |
| 37.7 | 32.2 | 27.6 | 25.8 | 24.9 | International Students & Education Programmes | 32.8 | 0.1% |
| 34.6 | 40.2 | 48.7 | 50.1 | 43.1 | Education Review Office | 46.7 | 0.2% |
| 16.1 | 18.4 | 13.9 | 12.3 | 102.8 | Stewardship and Oversight of the Tertiary Education System | 46.8 | 0.2% |
| 49.8 | 49.8 | 49.8 | 49.8 | 49.8 | Centres of Research Excellence | 49.8 | 0.2% |
| 18.4 | 31.0 | 37.7 | 39.3 | 49.0 | Scholarships and Awards for Teachers and Trainees | 51.7 | 0.2% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 17.0 | 55.6 | Charter Schools I Kura Hourua | 65.2 | 0.3% |
| 76.7 | 80.5 | 72.1 | 69.5 | 67.1 | Administration of and Support for the Tertiary Education and Careers Systems | 68.0 | 0.3% |
| 145.6 | 140.1 | 146.1 | 134.3 | 88.1 | Oversight and Administration of the Qualifications & Education System | 119.6 | 0.5% |
| 321.0 | 315.0 | 315.0 | 315.0 | 315.0 | Tertiary Education Research and Research-Based Teaching | 315.0 | 1.3% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Curricula and Assessment | 374.8 | 1.5% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Access to Education | 750.7 | 3.1% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Learning Support Services | 859.0 | 3.5% |
| 1,618.3 | 1,849.0 | 2,050.7 | 1,735.1 | 1,940.8 | Ministry of Education - Capital Expenditure | 1,788.3 | 7.3% |
| 3,205.1 | 2,787.9 | 2,914.2 | 3,122.8 | 3,235.5 | Tertiary Tuition and Training | 3,274.9 | 13.4% |
| 2,480.2 | 2,786.6 | 3,294.4 | 3,606.5 | 3,419.3 | School Property, Furniture and Equipment | 3,575.7 | 14.7% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | System Stewardship and Operational Management | 5,938.1 | 24.3% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Teachers, Leaders and Governance | 6,948.7 | 28.5% |
| 19,682 | 20,424 | 22,757 | 23,069 | 23,844 | Total Spending | 24,402 | 100% |
| Less: Recoveries | |||||||
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 62.0 | 0.0 | Tertiary Education Commission Balance Sheet | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | School Support Recovery | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 2.8 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | Tertiary Recoveries | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 2.5 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 0.0 | Asset Sales | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 0.4 | 2.8 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 2.3 | Miscellaneous Revenue | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| 17.7 | 1.2 | 3.9 | 8.1 | 0.0 | Miscellaneous Receipts | 2.3 | 0.0% |
| 1.0 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 3.8 | Overseas Students' Fees | 3.8 | 0.0% |
| 0.0 | 0.1 | 5.7 | 7.3 | 7.6 | Export Education Levies | 3.4 | 0.0% |
| 24.3 | 13.0 | 22.3 | 87.9 | 13.6 | Total Recoveries | 9.4 | 0.0% |
| 19,658 | 20,411 | 22,735 | 22,981 | 23,830 | Net Education | 24,393 | 100% |
You can get back to the main page that summarises all government spending here >>
Sources: You can download the data behind these tables from the NZ Government website here.
We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment
Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.