Child poverty statistics: Year ended June 2018

April 12, 2019 at 12:53 PM

From Stats NZ

Child poverty statistics provide estimates of low income and material hardship rates for measures listed in the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018.

Key facts and data limitations

  • Statistics in this release will be used as baseline rates by Government to set 3- and 10-year targets for reducing child poverty for the three primary measures specified in the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018 (the Act).
  • These statistics are based on household economic surveys (HES) up to 2017/18. The surveys are suitable for identifying general trends over time, but have limitations, due to a relatively small sample size and some sample bias, for use as baseline rates.
  • We used additional data sources and methodologies to produce estimates for the years 2017/18 and earlier that are as robust as possible for the provision of baseline estimates.
  • For the series to 2017/18, we emphasise the need to look at the general trend over time and caution against reaching definitive conclusions from reported year-on-year changes.

Findings for the 2017/18 financial year:

  • 16 percent of children lived in households with an income that was less than 50 percent of the median equivalised disposable household income, before housing costs are deducted.
  • 23 percent of children lived in households with an income that was less than 50 percent of the median equivalised disposable income, after housing costs are deducted, in the 2017/18 year (the base financial year).
  • 13 percent of children lived in households that experienced material hardship (that is, have a score of six or more items on the material hardship index).

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Category: Reports