Local Authority Election Statistics 2025 - Long description for graphs
Figure 1: Trend in Local Authority Voter Turnout from 1989 to 2025
Line graph shows percentage of voter turnout for mayoral and council elections from 1989 to 2025, as follows:
Note: Mayoral turnout includes contested elections of mayors for city and district councils.
- 1989: 57%
- 1992: 53%
- 1995: 53%
- 1998: 55%
- 2001: 50%
- 2004: 46%
- 2007: 44%
- 2010: 49%
- 2013: 41%
- 2016: 42%
- 2019: 42%
- 2022: 41%
- 2025: 39%
Council voter turnout
Note: Council turnout covers contested city and district council elections.
- 1989: 56%
- 1992: 51%
- 1995: 51%
- 1998: 53%
- 2001: 47%
- 2004: 46%
- 2007: 44%
- 2010: 49%
- 2013: 42%
- 2016: 43%
- 2019: 43%
- 2022: 41%
- 2025: 40%
Source: Department of Internal Affairs data.
Figure 2: Voter Turnout by Council Type from 1989 to 2025
Line graph shows percentage of voter turnout by council type (including district, city, and regional councils) from 1989 to 2025, as follows:
District Councils:
- 1989: 65%
- 1992: 61%
- 1995: 59%
- 1998: 61%
- 2001: 57%
- 2004: 51%
- 2007: 49%
- 2010: 50%
- 2013: 48%
- 2016: 47%
- 2019: 48%
- 2022: 45%
- 2025: 47%
City Councils:
- 1989: 52%
- 1992: 48%
- 1995: 49%
- 1998: 51%
- 2001: 45%
- 2004: 43%
- 2007: 41%
- 2010: 46%
- 2013: 39%
- 2016: 40%
- 2019: 39%
- 2022: 39%
- 2025: 35%
Regional Councils:
- 1989: 56%
- 1992: 52%
- 1995: 48%
- 1998: 53%
- 2001: 49%
- 2004: 45%
- 2007: 43%
- 2010: 47%
- 2013: 43%
- 2016: 44%
- 2019: 45%
- 2022: 43%
- 2025: 44%
Source: Department of Internal Affairs data
Figure 3: Proportion of female candidates and elected members from 2010 to 2025
Line graph shows percentage of women as candidates and elected members in the local authority elections examined in this report (including mayoralties, councils, community boards, and local boards) from 2010 to 2025, as follows:
Female Candidates:
- 2010: 28%
- 2013: 30%
- 2016: 33%
- 2019: 36%
- 2022: 38%
- 2025: 37%
Women Elected:
- 2010: 30%
- 2013: 32%
- 2016: 37%
- 2019: 40%
- 2022: 39%
- 2025: 41%
Source: Department of Internal Affairs data
Figure 4: Proportion of elected women by election year from 2010 to 2025
Bar graph shows percentage of women elected from 2010 to 2025, grouped by elections for regional, district, and city councils, mayors, local boards, and community boards, as follows:
Regional Councils:
- 2010: 24%
- 2013: 21%
- 2016: 24%
- 2019: 31%
- 2022: 26%
- 2025: 32%
District Councils:
- 2010: 28%
- 2013: 30%
- 2016: 34%
- 2019: 38%
- 2022: 37%
- 2025: 39%
City Councils:
- 2010: 35%
- 2013: 33%
- 2016: 34%
- 2019: 43%
- 2022: 40%
- 2025: 41%
Mayors:
- 2010: 18%
- 2013: 20%
- 2016: 19%
- 2019: 27%
- 2022: 32%
- 2025: 27%
Local Boards:
- 2010: 39%
- 2013: 40%
- 2016: 51%
- 2019: 51%
- 2022: 45%
- 2025: 43%
Community Boards:
- 2010: 33%
- 2013: 37%
- 2016: 38%
- 2019: 41%
- 2022: 43%
- 2025: 46%
Source: Department of Internal Affairs data
Figure 5: Proportion of women by election type (2025)
Bar graph shows percentage of women as candidates and elected members for 2025 local elections, grouped by elections for regional, district, and city councils, mayors, local boards, and community boards, as follows:
Regional Councils:
- Candidates: 31%
- Elected: 32%
District Councils:
- Candidates: 36%
- Elected: 39%
City Councils:
- Candidates: 35%
- Elected: 41%
Mayors:
- Candidates: 29%
- Elected: 27%
Local Boards:
- Candidates: 36%
- Elected: 43%
Community Boards:
- Candidates: 45%
- Elected: 46%
Source: Department of Internal Affairs data