New Zealand screen sector contributes $640m annually, boosting local tourism

The New Zealand screen industry contributed an estimated NZ$1.1bn (US$640m) to the country’s GDP in the last financial year.

Cameron Harland

In new research data detailing the role of screen production in shaping New Zealand’s economy and culture, it is estimated that $2.7bn in tourism expenditure is linked to screen content, with over a quarter (25.9%) of visitors citing screen influences as their decision to visit NZ.

The report from the NZ Institute of Economic Research and Verian was jointly commissioned by New Zealand’s key screen agencies, the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho. The research covered economic activity in New Zealand screen production, the cultural impact on NZ screen production, and how our screen content influences global perceptions of New Zealand.

The report forms part of Mahi Tahi, an initiative by the three agencies to strengthen and grow the screen sector in Aotearoa through shared insight and collaboration.

In terms of economic impact, the screen sector provides work for more than 26,960 both employees and contractors. The NZ Screen Production Rebate data reveals that qualifying NZ production expenditure for international productions in 2024/25 was NZ$647.1m with live-action productions providing the largest share of this expenditure, at approximately NZ$358m.

The research also affirmed the ongoing viability of the sector was strongly tied to government incentives and increasingly new public/private investment models have maintained industry sustainability.

Prior to 2023, NZ On Air’s funding allocation could only extend to supporting two to three large-scale domestic dramas annually. Its contributions covered 80%–94% of each production’s budget, which typically ranged between $6 million and $7 million. There has been a significant uplift in productions since 2023/24 with the introduction of co-investment with the agency. NZ On Air, chief executive is Cameron Harland, has subsequently supported 10 large-scale dramas, contributing an average of $2.4 million per project. These productions have collectively attracted $40 million in non-government funding, the majority of which has come from international sources

In key findings the report underscored that rising input costs since 2021 have constrained GDP growth, highlighting limited efficiency gains in a fragmented screen sector. While the screen industry’s GDP represents 0.3% of national GDP, its broader impact includes exports, employment, tourism, and cultural influence, making it disproportionately significant compared to other creative sectors.