Extra Stats NZ funding will improve child poverty data – Media advisory

17 May 2018

New Zealanders can expect to see a clearer picture of child poverty as thousands more people are asked about how they are getting by, Stats NZ said today.

In today’s Budget, the Government announced that Stats NZ will receive an extra $25.7 million in new operating funding over the next four years.

The extra funding will enable Stats NZ to expand the Household Economic Survey from 3,500 households a year to 20,000 households, and to improve data analysis.

“Data from the Household Economic Survey will show the number of children in poverty and changes from year to year,” Government Statistician Liz MacPherson said.

“These improvements will support the Government’s plans to reduce child poverty.

“Stats NZ will have improved data at a regional level. We will also have data about Māori and other groups, which will enable better support for families.

“This data will help agencies, the government of the day, and the public to understand whether policies are helping to reduce the number of children in poverty.”

The Household Economic Survey measures the economic circumstances of randomly selected households across New Zealand.

Stats NZ will begin surveying the larger number of households at face-to-face interviews from 2 July 2018.

“I greatly appreciate the trust people show when they allow us into their homes to share their stories,” Ms MacPherson said. “As with all information that we collect, their data will be kept private, secure, and confidential.

“Getting a better understanding of the stories behind the data will make a real difference to reducing child poverty and improving the well-being of our children.”

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