Child poverty rates for the year ended June 2022 were unchanged compared to the previous year, according to new figures released by Statistics New Zealand.
The data shows 1 in 9 (12.0%) of New Zealand children live in low-income households that had less than 50% of the median equivalised disposable household income before deducting housing costs.
But for tamariki Māori, that figure was slightly higher, with 1 in 7 (14.5%) of children living in low-income households measured in the same way.
The data shows 1 in 9 (12.0%) of New Zealand children live in low-income households that had less than 50% of the median equivalised disposable household income. (Source: 1News)
While for Pasifika children, 1 in 5 (19.5%) lived in low-income households.
Statistics New Zealand says those figures were subject to greater levels of uncertainty due to a particularly small number of contributing households.
The figures for Māori and Pasifika children, while higher than the national average, are largely unchanged from last year.
For disabled children, the figures show 1 in 6 (17.0%) lived in low-income households.
Last year’s figures showed 13.6% of New Zealand children lived in households with less than 50% of the median household income.
This was a decrease over three years from 16.5% in the year that ended June 2018.
This is the fourth year Statistics New Zealand has reported these figures under the Child Poverty Reduction Act of 2018.
Minister for Child Poverty Reduction Jan Tinetti said the steady numbers were “encouraging” and showed government programmes were working.
“It’s a challenging environment, but child poverty figures staying steady this year is encouraging. It shows the Government’s policies targeting kids and families are helping, despite the pandemic and tough economic time,” she said.
“We know families are doing it tough right now. But the changes we have implemented over the past five years to support families, such as our $5.5 billion Families Package, successive main benefit increases, minimum wage increases, Working for Families increases, and the implementation of our Healthy School Lunches programme, are really helping at the moment.”
“We know that there’s more work to do to achieve our target of more than halving child poverty within 10 years – and we’re absolutely committed to doing so,“ Tinetti said.
This positive outlook wasn’t shared by everyone, however.
Green Party social development spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March said the government needs to be doing more to reduce child poverty.
“The tools to lift every family and child out of poverty exist, the Government just needs to use them,” he said.
"They can start by increasing benefits to liveable levels, expanding Working for Families, and doubling Best Start and making it universal for the first three years.
“Poverty is a political choice. The Greens are clear that we need bold, permanent solutions where children are the number one priority - and we need them now.
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