NZ's child poverty statistics significantly improved compared to 2018

Wellington, March 23 (IANS) New Zealand's child poverty rates for the year ended June 2022 were unchanged compared with the previous year, but significantly improved compared with 2018, according to figures released by the statistics department on Thursday.

Compared to the baseline year, the year ended June 2018, eight of the nine child poverty measures have had statistically significant decreases, said Sean Broughton, Stats NZ's general manager of social and population insights.

Child poverty statistics include estimates of the measures specified in the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018 and compare statistics over the four years for the total population of children since the year ended June 2018, reports Xinhua news agency.

These include low-income and material hardship measures of poverty, Broughton said.

In the year ended June 2022, 1 in 9, or 12 per cent New Zealand children lived in low-income households that had less than 50 per cent of the median equivalised disposable household income before deducting housing costs, statistics show.

About 1 in 7, or 15.4 per cent children lived in low-income households that had an after-housing-costs income that was less than 50 per cent of the baseline year's median after-housing-costs equivalised disposable household income, said Stats NZ.

About 1 in 10, or 10.3 per cent, children lived in households experiencing material hardship, it said.

A household is experiencing material hardship if they are going without six or more of 17 items most people would regard as essential, Broughton said.

"When a household is in material hardship, it can mean going without things like fresh fruit and vegetables or avoiding using the heater in winter to save money," he said.

Minister for Child Poverty Reduction Jan Tinetti said there is more work to do to achieve the target of "more than halving child poverty within 10 years".

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