About us

The principal purpose of the Commission is to provide advice to the Government on improving productivity in a way that is directed to supporting the overall well-being of New Zealanders, having regard to a wide range of communities of interest and population groups in New Zealand society.
New Zealand Productivity Commission Act, 2010

Our work

The New Zealand Productivity Commission - Te Kōmihana Whai Hua o Aotearoa (the Commission that pursues abundance for New Zealand) - is an independent Crown Entity that began operating on 1 April 2011 after the

New Zealand Productivity Commission Act was passed in December 2010. Our core responsibilities are to:

Undertake in-depth inquiries on topics referred to us by the Government (our core business).

Carry out productivity-related research that assists improvement in productivity over time.

Promote understanding of productivity issues.

Our work across these three areas is largely at what we call the ‘framework level’, considering whether laws, policies, regulations and institutions best support the wellbeing of New Zealanders. 

This is different to workplace or individual productivity, which given our name some assume (understandably, but incorrectly) is our focus. 

Our vision

Productivity growth for maximum wellbeing.
Our vision reflects the fact that more wellbeing is better than less, as growing productivity creates more wellbeing options for New Zealanders, whether that be economic, social, environmental or cultural.