New Zealand suffers from one of the highest rates of child poverty in the Western world.[1][2][3] According to Statistics New Zealand,[4] by the end of June 2022, 12% of all children (1 in 9) were directly affected by poverty. Historically, child poverty has had, and continues to have a disproportionately high effect on in Māori and Pasifika households, with 14.5% of Māori children and 19.5% of Pacific children living in poverty.[4] These two ethnic groups continue to experience lingering effects of forced land alienation and immigration discrimination.
In 2011, around 285,000 children were living in poverty, as reported by the Child Poverty Action Group (Aotearoa New Zealand) (CPAG). However, as inequalities were exacerbated during the mid-2010s, (exemplified by the a major housing crisis that began in Auckland), this figure increased to an estimated 295,000 children (1 in 6) in 2016.[5]
The Ministry of Social Development (New Zealand) recognises that:
Poverty in the richer nations is about relative disadvantage—it is about households and individuals who have a day-to-day standard of living or access to resources that fall below a minimum acceptable community standard.
In New Zealand, children living in poverty lack material things enjoyed by other children, which results in their social exclusion and alienation. More is expected than merely providing the essentials in a country that strives to support each individual citizen reach their maximum productivity potential.[6] Consequences of child poverty in New Zealand include: poor health, such as lower rates of vaccination, higher rates of avoidable child mortality, infant mortality, low birth weight, and child injury; reduced participation in early childhood education and young people leaving school with no or low qualifications; and higher rates of youth suicide, teenage imprisonment, and the victimisation of children.[7] Efforts against child poverty in New Zealand include child-centred legislation, child specific representation in the decision-making process, as well as creating a Minister for Children in New Zealand. Professor Marie Johansson, an early education expert from Karolinska Children's Hospital in Sweden, spent some time working in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. After her work, she stated that New Zealand needs to address child poverty "not [as] a political question; [but] it's an ethical question, it's a moral question".[8]
- ^ St John, Susan (2008). "Child Poverty and family incomes policy in New Zealand". In Dew, Kevin; Matheson, Anna (eds.). Understanding health inequalities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Otago University Press. pp. 107–118. ISBN 978-1-877372-59-9. OCLC 609334172.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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Joychild2014was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Dalziel, Paul (Professor), "The 2013 Budget: Address to the CPAG Breakfast" (Child Poverty Action Group, Wellington, 17 May 2013) [1]
- ^ Peters, Michael A.; Besley, Tina (29 July 2014). "Children in Crisis: Child Poverty and Abuse in New Zealand". Educational Philosophy and Theory. 46 (9): 945–961. doi:10.1080/00131857.2014.935280. S2CID 145614359.
- ^ Breen, Claire (2011). "Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of New Zealand Children: The Challenges of Poverty and Discrimination". In Bedggood, Margaret; Gledhill, Kris (eds.). Law into action: economic, social and cultural rights in Aotearoa New Zealand. Thomson Reuters. pp. 201–220. ISBN 978-0-86472-723-7. OCLC 707893993.
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