New Zealand's parliament will feature far fewer women after the October 14 election, with both major parties contributing to a drop-off, an analysis suggests.
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Last year, New Zealand hit a historic majority of female MPs for the first time, with 61 women among the 120-member house.
That representation will fall away following the October poll as centre-right National increases its share.
A fresh poll out on Monday from TVNZ confirmed National in the box seat to govern after the October 14 election.
The TVNZ-Verian poll has National on 37 per cent, up two percentage points, and Labour on 29 per cent, down four.
That is Labour's worst result in the TVNZ poll under Chris Hipkins' leadership.
On those numbers, National would lead a coalition government in partnership with right-wing libertarians ACT, which polled 13 per cent, which would return them more MPs than ever before.
An analysis of the likely MPs based on a broad polling average - which has National growing its partyroom from 33 seats at the last election to 46 - shows the proportion of women will not grow from its current 32 per cent.
National does not have formal quotas to achieve diversity in its partyroom, but in June, leader Chris Luxon said he wanted equal representation between men and women.
"Ideally I'd love to see a 50-50 gender balance," he told the NZ Herald.
New Zealand's mixed-member proportional (MMP) system makes it easier than Australia to predict the make-up of each party's caucus.
Alongside electorate hopefuls, each party submits a ranked list of candidates.
At the last election, National selected just 13 women in its top 40, and saw just 10 elected in a partyroom of 33 under leader Judith Collins.
At this election, National has put 21 women in its top 40.
However, the analysis of likely electorate winners and list of MPs shows female representation growing to just 15 of 46 this year - meaning the proportion of women MPs will be stuck at 32 per cent.
That percentage could go slightly up or down based on final results.
Mr Luxon insisted National had "made great progress" on diversity under his leadership.
"I know from the National Party's history, when we've been more diverse we've been more successful," he said.
"Yes there's more to do, there will always be more to do, and I will always be constructively dissatisfied about it."
Labour is also likely to lose women from its ranks at the October 14 poll.
Chris Hipkins' partyroom currently has 56 per cent women, but the same analysis shows that as they lose their parliamentary majority, women will take the fall.
Among a predicted loss of 22 seats, 16 women will fall out of parliament, and just six men - though Labour's caucus would still feature around 47 per cent women.
On Monday - 37 days before voting begins - National unveiled a new policy to fund a suite of cancer treatments.
The policy has been funded by reversing the government's recent decision to make most prescription drugs free, and reinstating a $NZ5 ($A4.60) co-payment.
Mr Hipkins attacked that move as "smoke and mirrors".
In worse news for Mr Hipkins, his polling edge over Mr Luxon as preferred prime minister has all but vanished.
Labour campaign strategists were hoping Mr Hipkins would maintain a lead over Mr Luxon as preferred leader but the prime minister has just 21 per cent support, compared with Mr Luxon's 20.
LATEST NEW ZEALAND POLL - TVNZ-VERIAN
National - 37 per cent (up 2)
Labour - 29 (down 4)
ACT - 13 (up 1)
Greens - 12 (up 2)
NZ First - 4 (up 1)
Maori Party - 3 (steady)
TOP - 1 (down 1)
PREFERRED PRIME MINISTER
Chris Hipkins (Labour) - 21 per cent (down 3)
Chris Luxon (National) - 20 (steady)
David Seymour (ACT) - 6 (down 1)
Winston Peters (NZ First) - 3 (up 1)
Chloe Swarbrick (Greens) - 2 (steady)
Jacinda Ardern (ex-MP) - 2 (up 1)
Nicola Willis (National) - 2 (up 1)
Australian Associated Press
