30 March – In a first of its kind, research released today by The Helen Clark Foundation gives a clear picture of social cohesion across Aotearoa New Zealand, measured against that of Australia's, and the results are worrying, the Foundation said.

In the report, NZ Social Cohesion: 2024, a total of 2600 New Zealanders from diverse communities were asked about their sense of belonging and sense of worth, their social inclusion and sense of justice, their social participation, and their social acceptance and rejection.

The research questions are based on the long-running Mapping Social Cohesion Survey from Australia.

The report’s author, Shamubeel Eaqub, said New Zealand’s measures of social cohesion against Australia’s were lagging in every dimension and there were signs of polarisation across many groups within New Zealand.

“Social cohesion can best be understood as the glue that holds our communities and society at large together,” Eaqub says.

“The opposite of social cohesion is polarisation. Without social cohesion, societies become increasingly unstable – from politics to business, to civil society to day-to-day life in our communities. This is a pattern increasingly seen around the world, and New Zealand is not immune.”

Today’s findings show New Zealanders are facing some big pressures. For example, many people are finding themselves financially worse off – just 32% of New Zealanders surveyed were satisfied with their financial situation, which contributes to a person’s sense of worth, compared to 60% in Australia.

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The survey also revealed 25% of New Zealanders sometimes or often went without meals compared to 13% of Australians; and that New Zealanders were less likely to be happy (55% compared with 78% in Australia).

Positively, more than 80% of New Zealanders felt a national sense of belonging, comparable to Australia, however, we lagged at a more local level, with kiwis less likely to feel connected to and safe in our local communities. New Zealand women felt less safe walking alone at night.

Eaqub adds that like many of the world’s democratic societies, trust in New Zealand’s leaders and institutions is increasingly fragile. So, understanding and measuring social cohesion amongst New Zealanders is more important than ever and will help us navigate this period of social upheaval.

There were significant variations in how different groups within New Zealand society responded to questions about social cohesion, with marked differences from groups representing different income levels, political ideologies, workforce participation rates, ethnicity and age groups.

“We know from research that societies with higher levels of social cohesion are typically healthier, more resilient to external shocks and crises, and experience higher levels of economic wellbeing.

“Now that we have a benchmark with our research, we have something to measure and improve – and that change starts at the individual and community level.”

Murray Bruges, Executive Director of The Helen Clark Foundation said the report sets out actions and strategies for improving social inclusion, including awareness raising, countering stereotypes, and opportunities for positive interactions.

“We need to be asking ourselves what actions we can take to be more engaged, more aware, and to counter negative stereotypes – from popping our head over the fence to chat with neighbours, to getting more involved with our community organisations, to staying up to date with the news and engaging in democratic processes at the local and central levels,” says Bruges.

This 2024 social cohesion survey shows that New Zealand is lagging Australia, but our experience is not parallel. There are areas of strength and weakness. Measuring and understanding the level of social cohesion – and the key differences among the different groups that form New Zealand society – is a crucial step towards greater understanding and, in time, towards taking meaningful action to create healthier, more resilient societies in New Zealand.

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