Which country passed the world’s first national minimum-wage law in 1894?

New Zealand passed the world’s first national minimum-wage law in 1894 through the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.

The act was part of a broader system designed to settle industrial disputes through conciliation and arbitration. Rather than setting one universal hourly amount for every occupation, the system enabled legally enforceable wage conditions to be determined for particular industries and trades.

New Zealand’s approach reflected concern about strikes, employer-worker conflict, and extremely low pay. Arbitration courts could establish employment conditions, including minimum wages, for workers covered by an award. This made the country an early pioneer in statutory wage regulation.

Australia is often named in nearby discussions because it developed influential wage-setting systems soon afterward, including the 1907 Harvester judgment. That judgment is not the same event as New Zealand’s 1894 legislation, and neither should be confused with the later British national minimum wage introduced in 1999.