The Facts: Child Poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand
What is child poverty?
Child poverty is when children do not have access to the resources they need to thrive. This includes having enough income to afford healthy food, warm housing, healthcare, education, transport, and opportunities to participate fully in their communities.
Poverty is not simply about individual choices or parenting. It is largely shaped by income, housing costs, employment conditions, and government policy.
How many children experience poverty?
Despite being a relatively wealthy country, Aotearoa New Zealand continues to have unacceptably high rates of child poverty.
Depending on the measure used, hundreds of thousands of children live in households with incomes too low to meet their needs. Many experience material hardship, meaning their families regularly go without essentials such as adequate heating, nutritious food, fresh clothing, dental care, or the ability to pay unexpected bills.
Who is most affected?
Child poverty can affect any family, but some groups face higher risks due to systemic inequalities, including:
Māori children
Pacific children
Children in sole-parent households
Children in families receiving income support
Disabled children and children with disabled family members
Children living in high-cost housing markets
These disparities are not inevitable. They reflect policy choices and longstanding inequities.
Why does child poverty matter?
Growing up in poverty can affect every aspect of a child's life.
Research shows that children experiencing poverty are more likely to face:
Poor physical and mental health
Housing instability and overcrowding
Barriers to educational achievement
Reduced opportunities for participation in sport, culture, and community life
Long-term impacts on wellbeing and future earnings
The effects of poverty can last a lifetime, but they are preventable.
What causes child poverty?
The main drivers of child poverty include:
Inadequate incomes from paid work or income support
High housing costs
Structural inequalities and discrimination
Gaps in the social welfare system
Barriers to employment and childcare
Families are often making impossible choices between rent, food, power, transport, and other essentials.
What works?
Evidence shows that child poverty can be reduced when governments:
Increase family incomes
Ensure benefits provide enough to live on
Invest in affordable housing
Support secure and well-paid employment
Improve access to healthcare, education, and childcare
Prioritise the wellbeing of children in policy decisions
Countries that make sustained investments in children achieve significantly lower poverty rates.
CPAG's Vision
Every child in Aotearoa deserves the resources they need not only to survive, but to flourish.
Child poverty is not inevitable. It is the result of policy choices—and it can be reduced through policy choices. Together, we can build an Aotearoa where every child has what they need to grow, learn, belong, and thrive.
