What are the main issues faced by people living in New Zealand these days? People across the nation are living in unpredictable times, and there is a lot of uncertainty.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, there have been 1.89 million total cases and 2,154 total deaths in the nation. The number of fatalities stemming from the coronavirus is relatively small. But the impact the virus has had on New Zealanders over the last couple of years has been anything but small. It’s been disruptive on several fronts.
But what, according to New Zealanders themselves, are the types of issues that concern them the most? What matters keep them up a night? According to the 18th Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor, the five biggest issues facing people in the country include social issues, crime, the economy, healthcare, and housing.
Continue reading to learn more about the top issues of concern and who New Zealanders believe is best suited to tackle the issues and restore some semblance of normality.
- Inflation Cost of Living
The number one issue of concern for people in the country is inflation/cost of living. According to the report, the Labour Party’s perceived capacity to deal with inflation/cost of living issues has trended downward. Meanwhile, the proportion of people who believe the National Party is best able to manage this issue remains flat with previous findings. The National Party is now leading the Labour Party by 14 percentage points.
According to the report, New Zealanders who are 50 years old and over are a lot less likely to say inflation/cost of living is a matter of concern. And people of Asian background are a lot more likely to say inflation/cost of living is an issue of concern.
- Housing Costs
Housing is the second most pressing issue of concern in the country. Compared to May 2022, the issue has dropped by 4 percentage points. According to the report, people’s confidence in the National Party to deal with the matter remains at 36%, while confidence in the Labour Party has declined by 1 percentage point to 33%.
According to the report, people under the age of 50 and women are substantially more likely to list housing/price of housing as a vital issue of concern compared to people over the age of 50 and men in general.
- Healthcare/Hospitals
While the Labour Party is still the party that many people believe is best suited to manage the healthcare/hospitals issue, that party’s lead continues to drop. It slipped 5 percentage points from May 2022. This lessened its lead above the National Party to a mere 4 percentage points. New Zealanders younger than 50 years old are a lot less likely than the general population to list healthcare/hospitals as an issue to worry about. But older people are more likely to list healthcare/hospitals as an issue they deem serious.
- Crime/Law and Order
The fourth most reported issue of concern for New Zealanders is crime/law and order. It rose one spot from May 2022. Compared to the general population, people less than 50 years old are much less likely to see crime/law and order as a critical issue. But people older than 50 years old are much more likely to do so. People in the country believe the National Party is most capable of handling this issue.
- Economy
People less than 50 years old are much less likely to see the economy as a major issue of concern versus people over 50 who are more likely to see economic issues as a key issue. Most New Zealanders view the National Party as the party most capable of tackling this issue and getting the nation’s economy running at full throttle again.
A report from earlier this year notes that the country’s economy remains stable because of high employment levels and solid construction activity. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t legitimate issues of concern for people in the country.
If you operate a business in New Zealand and are concerned about the economy, one way you can potentially lower your expenses and save money is by using cloud software. You can access the software you need, whether ERP or something else, without investing in hardware or paying hefty licensing fees. The vendor will host the tools you need on its servers, and your workers can access them on any device with internet access.
With the coronavirus still in play, the war in Ukraine, and other issues at home and abroad, you can be excused for having some concerns about the economy. And it’ll be interesting to see how people’s views on the economy and other issues change over time.
