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March 24, 2023
Child poverty stats under-count problem
Peter Verschaffelt
Posted On March 24, 2023
Download AudioA Child Poverty Action Group spokesperson says figures just released showing child poverty eradication is stalling are two years out of date – and the situation is worse now.
Stats NZ is reporting no statistically significant improvement in the year to June 2022, with 1 in 9 children living in households with less than 50 percent of the median disposable income before deducting housing costs.
But for tamariki Māori, that figure was 1 in 7.
Economist Susan St John says the reporting is too focused on historical data rather than real time statistics.
“What’s actually happening right now in the foodbanks? What are people seeing in the NGOs? Let’s not wait all this time to look at data that was collected back in 2021, 2022, that financial year,” she says.
Dr St John says if the survey covered those living in emergency housing or garages the picture would have been a lot worse.
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