This is the second post in the series, after Who votes Greens. It does the same thing for Labour: 155 Labour Party supporters who answered the survey, profiled on their own terms rather than against a single rival. That is a solid sample for one party, though still a self-selected group that skews younger and more online than the country as a whole, so read the shapes below as directional rather than as a poll. Where ACT, NZ First or National come in for comparison their samples are much smaller (43, 43 and 27 respectively), so those show direction, not exact distance.

The short version: 98% of them agree that Māori culture is important to New Zealand, which is both the highest agreement and the tightest spread of any statement they answered. Taxing the rich, the thing a left-leaning party's voters might be expected to be most united on, comes in well behind that.

Where Labour voters sit on the compass

Labour supporters Other parties, live position LEFT RIGHT AUTHORITARIAN LIBERTARIAN Greens, live position Greens OPP, live position OPP ACT, live position ACT NZ First, live position NZ First National, live position National Labour, live position (n = 155) Labour
n = 155. The ellipse spans one standard deviation each way from the group's mean position; the ringed dot is the position the live compass shows for Labour, other parties' live dots are shown muted for comparison.
Section 1 of 7

Where Labour voters sit

On the live compass Labour sits left of centre and almost exactly on the horizontal line: an x of −1.86 and a y of −0.09, on a compass where 0 is the political centre in both directions. So the party's voters are clearly on the left, and as a group they are neither authoritarian nor libertarian to any real degree.

The 155 respondents behind that dot spread out around it by 1.50 units left-right and 0.97 units up-down, which is why the ellipse above is a wide oval. Their own average sits on the live dot almost perfectly, about a hundredth of a unit away, so the group's centre has settled rather than still moving with each new response.

Section 2 of 7

How spread out Labour voters are

How spread out Labour voters are

Left-right position Greens n = 234 Greens: mean -3.31, middle half -4.12 to -2.63, 5th to 95th -5.11 to -1.30 (n = 234) OPP n = 196 OPP: mean -1.88, middle half -2.81 to -0.95, 5th to 95th -4.01 to +0.31 (n = 196) Labour n = 155 Labour: mean -1.86, middle half -2.79 to -1.03, 5th to 95th -3.98 to +0.08 (n = 155) ACT n = 43 ACT: mean +3.07, middle half +2.52 to +3.67, 5th to 95th +1.28 to +4.66 (n = 43) NZ First n = 43 NZ First: mean +2.41, middle half +1.22 to +3.84, 5th to 95th +0.18 to +4.79 (n = 43) National n = 27 National: mean +1.74, middle half +0.60 to +2.69, 5th to 95th -0.22 to +3.54 (n = 27) LEFT RIGHT 0 Authoritarian-libertarian position Greens n = 234 Greens: mean +0.10, middle half -0.35 to +0.58, 5th to 95th -1.16 to +1.24 (n = 234) OPP n = 196 OPP: mean +0.40, middle half -0.11 to +1.06, 5th to 95th -1.18 to +1.92 (n = 196) Labour n = 155 Labour: mean -0.09, middle half -0.67 to +0.49, 5th to 95th -1.77 to +1.50 (n = 155) ACT n = 43 ACT: mean +0.83, middle half +0.12 to +1.55, 5th to 95th -0.69 to +2.61 (n = 43) NZ First n = 43 NZ First: mean -0.49, middle half -1.31 to +0.40, 5th to 95th -1.93 to +0.92 (n = 43) National n = 27 National: mean -0.01, middle half -1.03 to +0.69, 5th to 95th -1.39 to +2.13 (n = 27) AUTHORITARIAN LIBERTARIAN 0
The thick line spans the middle half of Labour supporters' scores on each axis; the thin line is the 5th to 95th percentile range. The other parties are shown muted, for scale. n = 155 for Labour.

Lined up against the other plotted parties, Labour's voters are middling on the left-right axis: their middle half runs from about −2.8 to −1.0, wider than Greens or ACT voters' bands and narrower than the other three. They are clearly a left-of-centre group, but a less concentrated one than the party furthest left in this sample.

On the authoritarian-libertarian axis Labour's middle half runs from about −0.7 to +0.5. Only Greens voters are tighter on that axis, and every party to the right of centre is wider, though with 43, 43 and 27 respondents those three comparisons show direction rather than an exact width. Labour voters are a reasonably settled group vertically, they just settle either side of the line rather than on one side of it.

Section 3 of 7

Where Labour voters differ most from everyone else

Where Labour voters differ most from everyone else

Labour supporters Everyone else NZ handled COVID well NZ handled COVID well: Labour +0.73, everyone else +0.46 (gap +0.27) Authority always respected Authority always respected: Labour -0.05, everyone else -0.30 (gap +0.25) Should be able to own a firearm Should be able to own a firearm: Labour -0.34, everyone else -0.09 (gap -0.25) Nothing to hide, nothing to fear Nothing to hide, nothing to fear: Labour -0.16, everyone else -0.37 (gap +0.21) Strengthen hate speech laws Strengthen hate speech laws: Labour +0.27, everyone else +0.09 (gap +0.18) Coalitions worse than majorities Coalitions worse than majorities: Labour -0.13, everyone else -0.28 (gap +0.15) Not doing enough on climate Not doing enough on climate: Labour +0.67, everyone else +0.52 (gap +0.15) Capital gains tax is an envy tax Capital gains tax is an envy tax: Labour -0.64, everyone else -0.49 (gap -0.15) Treaty should play a larger role Treaty should play a larger role: Labour +0.24, everyone else +0.10 (gap +0.14) Heavily tax the rich Heavily tax the rich: Labour +0.47, everyone else +0.34 (gap +0.13) Billionaires are selfish hoarders Billionaires are selfish hoarders: Labour +0.45, everyone else +0.32 (gap +0.13) Free school lunches Free school lunches: Labour +0.59, everyone else +0.46 (gap +0.13) Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
Dots are each group's mean answer; the line is the gap between them. 'Everyone else' is every other respondent in this left-leaning sample, not the general population. n = 155 Labour supporters.

Measured against every other respondent in the survey rather than one rival party, what stands out is how small Labour's gaps are. The widest is on the COVID response: Labour voters average +0.73 on New Zealand having responded well, against +0.46 for everyone else, a gap of 0.27. For comparison, the Greens' widest gap in the first post in this series was more than twice that. Labour voters are close to the survey's average on nearly everything.

The handful of statements that do separate them cluster around the state and its authority: authority always being respected (+0.25 above everyone else), owning a firearm (0.25 below), "if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear" (+0.21) and strengthening hate speech laws (+0.18). Within the three left-leaning groups in this sample, Labour's are the least suspicious of authority: on authority always being respected they average −0.05 against Greens voters' −0.47 and OPP voters' −0.30. Against the smaller right-leaning groups, though, that ordering reverses, so this is a difference inside the left of the sample, not a claim that Labour voters are the most comfortable with authority overall.

Three statements barely tell Labour voters apart from everyone else at all: whether capitalism is the best system we have devised, whether the housing crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing the country, and whether they are confident in New Zealand's future. On those, Labour voters look like the survey's respondents in general.

Section 4 of 7

What unites and splits Labour voters

What Labour voters agree and split on among themselves

Most united (lowest spread) Māori culture is important to NZ Māori culture is important to NZ: mean +0.75, sd 0.32, middle half +0.52 to +0.91 (n = 155) Government should fix electricity market Government should fix electricity market: mean +0.53, sd 0.37, middle half +0.28 to +0.80 (n = 31) NZ handled COVID well NZ handled COVID well: mean +0.73, sd 0.38, middle half +0.51 to +0.91 (n = 155) Proud to be a New Zealander Proud to be a New Zealander: mean +0.50, sd 0.41, middle half +0.27 to +0.79 (n = 155) Defence ties even if it strains China Defence ties even if it strains China: mean +0.10, sd 0.41, middle half -0.18 to +0.40 (n = 31) Citizens' assemblies Citizens' assemblies: mean +0.48, sd 0.42, middle half +0.30 to +0.74 (n = 155) Government threatens my liberties Government threatens my liberties: mean -0.68, sd 0.42, middle half -0.91 to -0.45 (n = 155) Religious values in public schools Religious values in public schools: mean -0.78, sd 0.42, middle half -0.93 to -0.62 (n = 155) Most divided (highest spread, feelings not neutral) Should be able to own a firearm Should be able to own a firearm: mean -0.34, sd 0.65, middle half -0.85 to +0.28 (n = 155) Religion is important to me Religion is important to me: mean -0.62, sd 0.59, middle half -0.92 to -0.43 (n = 155) Billionaires are selfish hoarders Billionaires are selfish hoarders: mean +0.45, sd 0.58, middle half +0.08 to +0.86 (n = 155) Legalise cannabis Legalise cannabis: mean +0.42, sd 0.54, middle half +0.20 to +0.79 (n = 155) Parties can be bought Parties can be bought: mean +0.59, sd 0.54, middle half +0.40 to +0.89 (n = 155) Regulate AI even if it slows innovation Regulate AI even if it slows innovation: mean +0.37, sd 0.53, middle half +0.01 to +0.77 (n = 155) Heavily tax the rich Heavily tax the rich: mean +0.47, sd 0.52, middle half +0.29 to +0.82 (n = 155) Western culture is superior Western culture is superior: mean -0.52, sd 0.52, middle half -0.86 to -0.28 (n = 155) Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
Dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. The divided list is filtered to statements where the group's average is at least 0.3 away from neutral, so the ranking reflects genuine internal splits rather than statements the group mostly shrugs at. n = 155 Labour supporters answered most of these statements.

Among themselves, Labour voters agree most tightly that Māori culture is important to New Zealand: 98% of them agree with it, it averages +0.75, and its spread is the narrowest of any statement they answered. Behind it come the country having responded well to COVID (+0.73, 94% agreeing), public schools not instilling religious values (−0.78) and being proud to be a New Zealander (+0.50). These are not averages hiding a quiet split, they are genuine agreement.

Once statements the group mostly shrugs at are filtered out, the real internal splits show up on owning a firearm, on how important religion is to them personally, on whether multi-millionaires and billionaires are selfish hoarders of excess wealth, and on legalising cannabis. Firearms is the clearest of those: 28% of Labour voters agree they should be able to own one, 61% disagree, and the middle half of their answers straddles neutral. Taxing the rich, by contrast, is not really a split at all: 82% agree, and the group's answers spread widely but almost entirely on the agreeing side of the scale.

Section 5 of 7

Who Labour voters are

The demographic shape of Labour voters

Labour supporters Whole sample Age (n = 149) 18 to 24 18 to 24: Labour 12%, whole sample 20% 12% / 20% 25 to 34 25 to 34: Labour 35%, whole sample 35% 35% / 35% 35 to 44 35 to 44: Labour 32%, whole sample 22% 32% / 22% 45 to 54 45 to 54: Labour 17%, whole sample 12% 17% / 12% Gender (n = 154) Man Man: Labour 66%, whole sample 68% 66% / 68% Woman Woman: Labour 31%, whole sample 28% 31% / 28% Education (n = 155) High school High school: Labour 15%, whole sample 14% 15% / 14% Some tertiary Some tertiary: Labour 15%, whole sample 22% 15% / 22% Bachelors (undergraduate) Bachelors (undergraduate): Labour 39%, whole sample 36% 39% / 36% Postgraduate Postgraduate: Labour 25%, whole sample 22% 25% / 22% PhD PhD: Labour 3%, whole sample 3% 3% / 3% Household income (n = 155) <$40,000 <$40,000: Labour 23%, whole sample 29% 23% / 29% $40,000-$80,000 $40,000-$80,000: Labour 26%, whole sample 21% 26% / 21% $80,000-$120,000 $80,000-$120,000: Labour 20%, whole sample 24% 20% / 24% $120,000-$180,000 $120,000-$180,000: Labour 19%, whole sample 17% 19% / 17% >$180,000 >$180,000: Labour 13%, whole sample 9% 13% / 9% Living situation (n = 155) Own with mortgage Own with mortgage: Labour 39%, whole sample 33% 39% / 33% Live with Family Live with Family: Labour 17%, whole sample 20% 17% / 20% Rent privately Rent privately: Labour 15%, whole sample 17% 15% / 17% Rent with group Rent with group: Labour 14%, whole sample 16% 14% / 16% Own mortgage-free Own mortgage-free: Labour 12%, whole sample 11% 12% / 11%
Share of respondents in each category, Labour supporters against the whole sample. Categories with too few Labour respondents to be meaningful are left off the chart rather than shown with an unreliable share. Blank answers are excluded from every denominator, on both sides of each bar. n = 155 Labour supporters.

The clearest demographic difference is age. Respondents aged 35 to 44 are 32% of Labour voters against 22% of the whole sample, and 45 to 54 year olds 17% against 12%, while 18 to 24 year olds are 12% against 20%. Labour's respondents are the mid-career end of this survey's audience rather than its youngest.

Housing and income follow the same shape. Owning with a mortgage covers 39% of Labour voters against 33% of the whole sample, and households above $180,000 are 13% against 9%, while the under $40,000 group is 23% against 29%. Gender, on the other hand, is unremarkable here: 66% men and 31% women, against 68% and 28% across the whole sample.

Section 6 of 7

Which other party Labour voters land closest to

Which other party Labour voters land closest to

Labour Labour: 41% of Labour supporters land nearest this party's live dot 41% OPP OPP: 26% of Labour supporters land nearest this party's live dot 26% Greens Greens: 26% of Labour supporters land nearest this party's live dot 26% National National: 3% of Labour supporters land nearest this party's live dot 3% ACT ACT: 2% of Labour supporters land nearest this party's live dot 2% NZ First NZ First: 2% of Labour supporters land nearest this party's live dot 2%
Share of Labour supporters whose nearest live party dot, in the compass's own stretched frame, is each party. n = 155.

Run every Labour supporter's own position through the site's nearest-dot matching, the same logic that tells a respondent which party they are closest to, and 41% land nearest Labour's own dot. The rest are split almost evenly between its two neighbours: 26% land nearest OPP and 26% nearest Greens, with a handful nearest National, ACT or NZ First.

That is the lowest own-party share this series has measured, and the reason is geometry rather than anything about Labour voters themselves. Labour's dot has a close neighbour on either side of it, under a unit away in the compass's own stretched frame, so a group spread 1.50 units wide left-right is bound to spill over both sides. It is worth keeping in mind whenever the site tells a respondent which single party they are closest to: for a party sitting in a crowded part of the compass, that match is a fine distinction.

Section 7 of 7

How sure are we

155 respondents is a reasonable sample for one party's voters, so the findings about Labour voters themselves stand on firmer ground than the comparisons. ACT, NZ First and National, with 43, 43 and 27 respondents, are the weak links: a few different respondents in those groups would move their averages more than the same few would move Labour's.

Some of the newest statements in the survey have only been in front of respondents recently, so a few rows in the agreement charts rest on fewer Labour answers than the rest. Statements without enough of the party's voters behind them are left off the charts entirely rather than drawn with an unreliable average.

The demographic breakdown and the "differs most from everyone else" figures both compare Labour voters against the rest of this sample, which skews younger and more online than the country as a whole. A gap measured against that baseline is a real feature of this sample, but it is not the same claim as a gap against the general population.

For more on who has answered the survey so far, see the sample composition page. For how the compass and this kind of profile are built, see the methodology page.

Want to see where your own answers land? Take the survey at kiwivalues.nz.