We commissioned Nielsen IQ to survey around 3,200 people from across New Zealand in 2026 to measure our social licence.
Report summary
Awareness of Stats NZ has remained consistent
Awareness of Stats NZ has remained consistently high since 2018, with around nine in ten New Zealanders (91% in 2026) aware of the organisation. Knowledge levels have also strengthened, with 36% of people in 2026 saying they know either a reasonable amount or a great deal about Stats NZ.
Trust continues to strengthen
Trust in Stats NZ continues to grow, with 67% of respondents saying Stats NZ is an organisation they trust. Positive perceptions of Stats NZ, confidence in the data we produce and trust in how we manage personal information have all improved since 2025.
Building understanding still remains important
People who are more familiar with Stats NZ are more likely to trust us; value our work and feel confident in the data and statistics we produce. Knowledge of Stats NZ and understanding of what happens to survey data have both increased but there is still an opportunity to help more people understand Stats NZ, how data is used and how it supports decision making.
People want to know more about what happens to their data
A consistent message throughout the research is that people want to know more about what happens to their data. Questions about how data is used, who can access it and how it is protected remains a concern for respondents. The findings also show that many people would be more willing to participate in Stats NZ surveys if they had a better understanding of how their information is managed and used.
Participation remains strong
Participation in Stats NZ surveys remains high, with 83% of people who were invited to take part reporting that they completed a survey. The strongest motivators for participation are knowing the information will benefit New Zealand society and civic responsibility. Lack of time was the most commonly mentioned reason (41%) given for not participating.
Social licence work
Stats NZ’s social licence for data stewardship June 2026 reports on the survey of our social licence from April – June 2026. It reflects changes from:
- A social licence approach to trust, our first survey, published in 2018, and
- Stats NZ’s social licence for data stewardship, the 2019 report of the survey, and
- Stats NZ’s social licence for data stewardship, the 2020 report of the survey.
- Stats NZ’s social licence for data stewardship, the 2021 report of the survey.
- Stats NZ’s social licence for data stewardship, the 2022 report of the survey
- Stats NZ’s social licence for data stewardship, the 2025 report of the survey.
We define social licence as the permission we have to make decisions about the management and use of the public’s data. It’s about ensuring New Zealanders have trust and confidence in the way their data is managed.
The 2026 Audience Research Report was prepared for by NielsenIQ for Stats NZ. We acknowledge and thank those who gave their time to take part in this survey. In 2026, 3,243 took part in the online survey. The report provides more information about the underlying methodology
