Gas industry insights
Explore the latest industry insights from Infometrics to learn more about the industries we work with and how they’re evolving.
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Gas industry summary
Employment in 2025
In 2025, the gas sector employed 1,401 people, representing 0.05% of all filled jobs in New Zealand.
Employment in the sector grew rapidly between 2020 and 2025, at an average rate of 7.2% per year. Growth is forecast to slow, with employment expected to increase by 1.0% per year between 2026 and 2031, compared with 1.4% nationally.
Businesses in the sector
In 2025, there were 107 gas businesses operating in New Zealand, accounting for less than 0.1% of all business units nationally.
Future workforce demand
Between 2026 and 2031, the gas sector is expected to generate 102 total job openings. These consist of:
- –77 new jobs, reflecting an overall contraction in employment
- 179 replacement job openings, reflecting workforce turnover.
Where people work
- Auckland: 327
- Bay of Plenty: 52
- Waikato: 114
- Wellington: 401
- Canterbury: 116
- Rest of North Island: 317
- Rest of South Island: 75
Top occupations
The top five occupations in 2025 were:
- Gas or Petroleum Operator: 570 jobs
- Sales Representatives: 41 jobs
- Software Engineer: 31 jobs
- Truck Driver: 26 jobs
- Management Consultant: 23 jobs
These represent 692 jobs, 49.4% of total Gas in New Zealand.
Self-employment in 2025
In 2025, 76 gas sector workers were self‑employed, representing a 5.4% self‑employment rate.
This is lower than the national average of 15.2%.
Sector productivity
In 2025, the gas sector generated $416 million in GDP, contributing approximately 0.1% of New Zealand’s total GDP.
GDP declined at an average rate of ‑6.2% per year between 2020 and 2025, and over the longer period 2015–2025.
This contrasts with overall national GDP growth over the same periods.
Productivity, measured as GDP per full‑time equivalent (FTE), was $311,831, significantly higher than the national average of $174,045.
Ethnicity of workers
Overall ethnic diversity is broadly similar to the national workforce.
In 2025, gas sector workers were predominantly European, with Māori, Asian, and Pacific Peoples also represented.
Highest post‑school qualifications (2023)
In 2023, gas sector workers were more likely than the national workforce to hold higher‑level qualifications.
A larger proportion held degree and postgraduate qualifications, reflecting the technical and specialist nature of many roles.
Age profile of workers
The age profile of gas sector workers broadly aligns with the national workforce.
- Workers aged 25–64 make up the largest share of employment.
- There is a higher number of workers aged 35-64 than the national average.
Female participation
Women made up 35.3% of the gas sector workforce in 2025, compared with 48% across New Zealand.
Female participation in the gas sector has fluctuated over time.
Hours worked
Gas sector workers were more likely to work full‑time hours, with most working 40–49 hours per week.
Fewer workers were employed in lower‑hour brackets.
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These reports were defined by MITO Limited. Data sourced from Infometrics and Statistics New Zealand.