New Zealand’s Children Can’t Keep Waiting, Urgent Action On Child Poverty Reduction Needed Now – Mana Mokopuna

The Children’s Commissioner says a new report released today provides a detailed picture of the 170,000 children living in poverty, and is a stark reminder that New Zealand is failing to uphold the basic rights of too many children.

Dr Claire Achmad says the latest data and analysis, compiled in Child Poverty in New Zealand by Bryan Perry for MSD, shines more light on a national shame and should be a wake-up call for leaders across the country, especially those in Parliament and seeking to enter it this year.

“This report lays bare that New Zealand is moving backwards on child poverty. Material hardship has risen since 2022, meaning more children are going without the essentials they need to learn, grow and thrive,” says Dr Achmad.

“This is not simply about having less than others. Material hardship means children are missing out on things that all children should have. It is the experience of being excluded from the minimum acceptable standard of living, because families do not have enough resources.

“The data is clear. More children are being pushed into poverty and hardship, and that means the Government is failing to meet its responsibility to protect their most basic rights.”

The report also highlights the disproportionate impact of poverty on disabled households.

“Almost 60% of children experiencing material hardship live in households with at least one disabled person. Of children facing even more severe material hardship, two-thirds come from these households.