NZ (and Australia) are extractive, colonial societies. Since original settlement, they had a surplus of males, due to immigration (this is still the case). Yo

NZ (and Australia) are extractive, colonial societies. Since original settlement, they had a surplus of males, due to immigration (this is still the case). You can see this by comparing the populations in 1950: https://www.populationpyramid.net/australia/1950/ https://www.populationpyramid.net/australia/1950/ https://www.populationpyramid.net/sweden/1950/ https://www.populationpyramid.net/sweden/1950/ Some of these population imbalances would have been even more concentrated to eg. mining towns. As such, it was simply necessary to legalise prostitution, to keep the male work force satiated. Sweden also has little maritime tradition, compared to places like the Netherlands, UK, or Germany where legal prostitution is often concentrated in port cities.