The latest Child Poverty Related Indicators Report shows encouraging signs of progress being made, including a longer-term improving trend on three out of five of the Child Poverty Related Indicators (CPRIs).
This report includes data for the year ending June 2022. Report findings include:
- a large and statistically significant drop in food insecurity rates since 2019/20 for all children, continuing a longer-term trend observed over the last ten years – 13% of all children (0-14yrs) live in households where food runs out sometimes or often, compared with 20% in 2019/20
- rates of children experiencing potentially avoidable hospitalisations have been stable over the past three years, at a rate of around 48 per 1,000 of all children (0-14yrs); this follows a sharp decline after 2018/19
- a steady decline in children living in poor quality housing - 6% of children (0-17yrs) live in households with a major problem with dampness and mould in 2021/22, compared with 8% in 2018/19
- largely unchanged rates of those living in unaffordable housing, continuing the stable trend observed over at least the past decade – 34% of all children (0-17ys) live in households spending more than 30% disposable income on housing, compared with 35% in 2018/19
- a substantial decrease in school attendance rates, largely because of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic – 40% of all children (6-16yrs) regularly attend school, compared to 59% in 2019; these figures include both justified and unjustified absences.
The Report includes comparisons and trends over time based on ethnicity and socio-economic status, as well as other demographics as available. While the report highlights some persistent, long-term disparities for different groups, some disparities are showing signs of improvement.
The five CPRIs are measures related to the causes and consequences of child poverty. These indicators help tell a broader story about the lived experience of children living in poverty in New Zealand. Over time, they can also tell us more about the impact of policies established to reduce child poverty and mitigate its consequences. The five CPRIs are a subset of the child and youth wellbeing indicators.