Child poverty numbers produced by Statistics New Zealand today showed the continuing need for investment in our most vulnerable families, said CTU Economist Craig Renney. Renney said “the number of children living in poverty has not moved significantly since last year. While the long-run trend for child poverty is down, up to 1 in 7 children are still living in poverty on official measures. There is a need to make sure that New Zealand is making further and faster progress in tackling child poverty and its life-long impacts”.

The number of children living in relative poverty has fallen by nearly 50,000 since the baseline year of 2018. This contrasts with the equivalent period prior to 2018, where child poverty grew by nearly 30,000. Renney said “this shows that the investment through programmes like the Families Package and Welfare reform can make. If we are really committed to tackling child poverty, then further investment in our most vulnerable households is needed”.

The challenge of child poverty is not evenly distributed, with children in Māori or Pasifika households much more likely to be in poverty. Renney said “it is particularly concerning to see the far higher proportion of children living in material poverty in Māori and Pasifika households. These are children missing out on the basics like fresh food or heating. 1 in 10 children are living in households experiencing material poverty in New Zealand, but 1 in 4 Pasifika children experience this”.

Renney said “with 1 in 9 children living in poverty, now is not the time for a tax cut that favours the very wealthiest. It is instead a time to make sure that we are investing in children, making housing more affordable, and making sure that we have strong, and accessible public services. All children deserve the best start in life, and tackling child poverty would be real social investment in New Zealand”.

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