New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced her plan to resign from office because she no longer has “enough in the tank” to run the country.

“I know what this job takes and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice,” Ms Ardern announced tearfully on Thursday to the Labour Party MPs who had convened for a retreat.

As she no longer felt capable of leading, Ms Ardern said she would be doing the country a “disservice” if she kept her position. 

“I would be doing a disservice to New Zealand to continue,” stressing that her term as prime minister would conclude on February 7.

Ms Ardern, in 2017, became the country’s prime minister at 37 years, setting the record as the youngest female leader in the world.

She also refuted claims that she and her party were losing a lot of support from voters and had no chance of winning the upcoming election in October.

“I am not leaving because I believe we can’t win the election but because I believe we can and will, and we need a fresh set of shoulders for that challenge,” said Ms Ardern.