Government Policy is exacerbating Child Poverty

No annual change in child poverty rates for year ended June 2025

No statistically significant movements occurred in child poverty rates in the year ended June 2025, compared with the year ended June 2024, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

Stats NZ

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Let’s be VERY clear.

Government Policy is exacerbating Child Poverty…

More children living in hardship under Luxon – Labour

Latest figures show more children living in hardship as National continues to fail families.

“Christopher Luxon promised to make life better for Kiwis, instead he’s made things harder for families and kids are paying the price,” Labour’s child poverty reduction spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.

“There are now 23,700 more children living in hardship compared to two years ago. Families are struggling and National isn’t listening. While Christopher Luxon prioritised billions in tax breaks to landlords and tobacco companies children in New Zealand are going hungry.

“The figures reflect the real choices families have to make just to get by. We’re seeing more families putting off doctor’s visits, more children putting up with feeling cold, and more children going without the basics.

“These heartbreaking compromises are a consequence of Luxon’s broken promise to fix the cost of living. Since he took office, there are 32,000 fewer jobs, food prices are soaring, and homelessness has spiked. It’s out of touch that Luxon crows about green shoots, while refusing to acknowledge his abject failure after more than two years in charge.

“This is exactly why Labour is prioritising a more affordable New Zealand. It’s why we’re giving every New Zealander three free doctor’s visits every year. It’s why we’re investing in creating good, well-paid jobs. It’s why we’re focused on more affordable homes.

“The one in seven children living in hardship need Christopher Luxon to finally take action – New Zealand deserves better,” Jan Tinetti said.

 

…and…

Child poverty stats highlight Government’s failing record – Greens

The Green Party is calling out this Government’s record on child poverty following the release of the latest child poverty statistics.

“It’s clear this Government has done nothing to reduce child poverty, choosing landlords and the wealthy over our tamariki,” says Green Party Co-leader and Child Poverty spokesperson, Marama Davidson.

“Today’s figures show 1 in 7 children are living in material hardship. That means their households are struggling to afford their basics needs: food, clothing, heating and transport.

“For Māori and pacific children, the numbers remain abysmal with 1in 4 tamariki Māori and nearly 1 in 3 Pasifika children living in material hardship.

“Whānau across this country are doing everything they can for their tamariki. They shouldn’t have to fight this hard just to cover the basics. Every child in Aotearoa deserves a warm, dry home, a bed of their own, and a full belly.

“Aotearoa has more than enough for every whānau to thrive. This isn’t a resource problem, it’s a political choice.”

“These numbers are not just statistics. Behind every data point is a child going to school hungry, a family choosing between heating and eating, a pēpi growing up without the basics they need to thrive.

“Instead of acting, this Government has watered down its child poverty reduction targets, slashed benefit increases, and ramped up punitive sanctions on families already doing it tough.

“The data is clear: over the course of this Government’s term, there has been no meaningful improvement in child poverty.

“Luxon has had no trouble finding billions in tax breaks for property investors. He’s made his choice, and it wasn’t our kids.

“Aotearoa has more than enough for everyone to thrive. What we lack is a Government with the ambition and the heart to put our mokopuna first.

“We can’t keep tinkering around the edges while a generation of tamariki is being set up to fail. Our mokopuna deserve nothing less,” says Marama Davidson.

 

…and…

Save The Children: Child Poverty Figures Demand Government Action To Address Stagnation

Save the Children is calling on the Government to strengthen its response to child poverty following the release of the latest Child Poverty Statistics today.

Statistics for the year ending June 2025 released by Stats NZ show no annual change in child poverty rates. The figures show that the number of children experiencing hardship in their everyday lives has largely remained the same, with specific groups of children – including mokopuna Māori, Pasifika and disabled children and those living in sole parent households – particularly impacted by poverty.

The data shows that despite the aims of the Child Poverty Reduction Act to achieve a significant and sustained reduction in child poverty, rates have largely remained the same for the past five years.

Save the Children New Zealand’s Advocacy and Research Director Jacqui Southey says while public reporting is important for transparency and accountability, the figures represent real children experiencing hardship every day.

“Behind every statistic is a child growing up in a household trying to survive on too little,” says Ms Southey. “Too little income, too little food security, and too little stability. Living on too little limits children’s wellbeing now and their opportunities in the future.”

New Zealand has legislated targets to reduce child poverty, yet recent years have shown progress stalling and, in some measures, reversing since 2021. Gains made between 2018 and 2021 have been eroded.

In 2025, one in seven children were living in material hardship, rising to one in four for tamariki Māori and disabled children, and jumping to one in three for Pacific children. Nearly 80 percent of households on the lowest incomes were sole parent households, living on an average disposable income of less than $46,000.

“An income at that level is simply not enough to provide a decent standard of living for children and families in Aotearoa,” Ms Southey says.

Save the Children is concerned that continued high living costs, low wage growth and rising unemployment are placing additional pressure on families, with more households relying on welfare and hardship assistance. Rising food insecurity, increasing preventable hospital admissions and higher rates of violence against children are all indicators closely linked to deprivation.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has repeatedly urged New Zealand to prioritise child poverty reduction because of its immediate and long-term impacts on children’s development and wellbeing.

Ms Southey says addressing child poverty requires sustained investment in lifting incomes for families on the lowest incomes and strengthening the welfare and income support system.

“Paid work alone will not solve child poverty. Some families are locked out of the labour market due to illness, disability or caring responsibilities. Others are working but earning too little to keep pace with the cost of living.”

“If we are serious about eliminating child poverty, we must invest in income support, housing security and food security so children can thrive, not just survive.”

 

…these stats follow the Salvation Army State of the Nation report which found:

• 43,500 people estimated to be in severe housing deprivation
• 400 less transitional housing placements and allocated funding for housing support cut by $80m
• 156,000+ children living in material hardship
• Salvation Army food parcel distribution increased 7% to 90,250 parcels last year
• Pacific unemployment was at 12.3% and Māori Unemployment at twice that of the general population.
• and Domestic violence numbers are surging

Back in 2024, this Government was warned that their punitive welfare polices would push between 7000 to 13000 more children into poverty.

It’s 2026 and the Government has pushed 23,700 more children living in hardship, over 10 000 more than the Government had been warned.

Look, I’m no social policy expert, but when you are warned that your policy will push tens of thousands of kids into poverty, you probs shouldn’t ‘t do it!

This Government did the exact same thing with Homelessness, they were told that their policies would create a tsunami of homeless, it predictably happens and their solution is to arrest the homeless!

What are they going to do with more children slipping into poverty? Arrest them too?

The reality is the Government has damaged the economy so badly that epbenfit sanctions aren’t working because there literally is no jobs to force them onto…

Have benefit sanctions actually worked?

Benefit sanctions have not worked – probably largely because there are not enough jobs for beneficiaries to move into, one economist says.

Rob Heyes, principal consultant at Infometrics, has looked at the experience of benefit sanctions introduced in 2024.

RNZ

…time and time and time again this Government gt gets warned about the social carnage their policy will create, they shrug and say, ‘nah’, and when the exact counter productive outcomes occur, this Government just glosses over their failure!

If you support this, you are the problem!