NZ Maths Achievement Explorer
Exploring a decade of mathematics achievement in New Zealand secondary schools
A decade of maths achievement
Between 2015 and 2024, the fail rate in NCEA Mathematics has shifted — shaped by COVID disruptions in 2020–2021 and the 2024 NCEA reform which sent fail rates sharply upward. Switch the grouping to compare ethnic groups, equity groups, regions, or gender. Change the metric to view fail rates, pass rates, or Merit/Excellence rates.
Where do students land?
Each band shows the share of students landing in that grade tier each year. Watch how COVID leniency (2020) temporarily collapsed the “Not Achieved” band, and how the 2024 NCEA reform sent it sharply upward. Switch group to compare how different communities experience these shifts.
Year-on-year change
How much did the fail rate move each year compared to the one before? The 2020 COVID leniency produced one of the largest single-year improvements on record, while 2024’s NCEA reform reversed that — with some groups hit far harder than others.
Not every student starts from the same place
The gaps in maths achievement between ethnic groups are persistent and significant. Māori and Pacific Peoples students consistently have higher fail rates and lower Merit/Excellence rates than their peers — not because of ability, but because of systemic inequities in how schools are resourced, supported, and connected to communities. Toggle between "Fail rate", "Pass rate", and "Merit + Excellence" to see the full picture.
Where you live matters
Achievement rates vary across NZ regions. Click on a region to see how different groups of students are doing in that area — and where the equity gaps are largest.
The shape of inequality
Rotate, zoom, and explore this 3D view of maths achievement. The height of each column shows the achievement rate — and the landscape shows us exactly where the peaks and valleys are across different groups and years.
Explore the data your way
Pick any two dimensions to cross-tabulate maths achievement. What story does gender × equity group tell? What about region × ethnicity? Every combination reveals a different facet of the picture.