A new nationwide survey has delivered a concerning assessment of the cost-of-living crisis in Aotearoa, with 70% of respondents saying the Coalition Government is not doing enough to help families manage rising expenses, while 43% report their household finances have deteriorated since the 2023 general election.
The survey, conducted by Talbot Mills Research for the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU), reveals widespread financial pressure, significant differences between income groups and growing concern about who benefits from government decisions.
The findings come as Aotearoa approaches the November 7 general election, with economic management, household living costs and financial security central to the political debate.
For Māori whānau, the results raise important questions about the affordability of everyday necessities, access to economic opportunities and whether national economic policies are translating into improvements in household wellbeing.
Seven in Ten Say Government Isn’t Doing Enough
The survey found that 70% of respondents believe the Coalition Government is not doing enough to help New Zealand families manage cost-of-living pressures.
Just 22% believe the Government is doing enough, while 7% were unsure.
Of those dissatisfied, 39% said the Government was nowhere near doing enough, while 32% believed it was not quite doing enough.
Women were considerably less satisfied than men, with just 16% believing the Government was doing enough compared with 29% of men.
Housing circumstances also influenced responses.
Among people who owned their homes outright, 31% believed the Government was doing enough, compared with 16% of mortgage holders and 20% of renters.
Dissatisfaction was evident across supporters of different political parties.
Even among respondents identifying as National and ACT voters, 51% and 50% respectively believed the Government was not doing enough.
Among New Zealand First voters, that figure rose to 70%, while 86% of Labour voters and 75% of Green voters expressed dissatisfaction.
The results suggest that concerns about household living costs extend beyond traditional political divisions.
Almost Half of Households Are Falling Behind
Perhaps one of the most significant findings is the number of New Zealanders who believe their financial circumstances have deteriorated since the last election.
When asked about their household finances since 2023:
- 43% said they were falling behind financially.
- 43% said their circumstances were about the same.
- 10% said they were getting ahead.
- 4% were unsure.
The figures suggest that only a relatively small proportion of respondents believe their household finances have improved.
The pressures are particularly pronounced among lower-income households.
Among those earning less than $50,000 annually, 51% reported falling behind financially.
For renters, the figure increased to 55%, compared with 35% of people who owned their homes outright.
Women were also more likely to report deteriorating finances, with 50% saying they were falling behind compared with 35% of men.
These differences highlight the uneven impact of economic pressures across households.
Te Pāti Māori Supporters Report Significant Financial Pressure
The survey also examined household financial circumstances by political party preference.
Among respondents identifying as Te Pāti Māori voters, 59% reported falling behind financially since 2023.
This was higher than the equivalent figures reported among Labour voters at 51%, Green voters at 49%, New Zealand First voters at 43%, ACT voters at 33% and National voters at 28%.
The results point to substantial financial pressure among surveyed Te Pāti Māori supporters.
However, these figures relate to respondents’ political preferences and should not be interpreted as a measure of financial hardship among Māori generally.
The report does not provide a separate Māori ethnicity breakdown, and the smaller party-supporter samples may carry greater statistical uncertainty.
Nevertheless, the findings add to wider concerns about economic security, household affordability and the financial pressures facing communities.
Who Is Actually Benefiting from Government Decisions?
The survey also asked respondents who they believed benefited most from the Coalition Government’s decisions.
The results reveal significant public concern about the distribution of economic benefits.
Perceived beneficiaries of government decisions:
| Group | Respondents |
|---|---|
| Wealthy people | 45% |
| Middle-income households | 11% |
| Multinational corporations | 9% |
| Low-income households | 8% |
| Businesses and employers | 7% |
| Everyone equally | 8% |
| Unsure | 11% |
Almost half of respondents believed wealthy people were the principal beneficiaries of government decisions.
Just 8% believed low-income households benefited most, while another 8% thought everyone benefited equally.
The results reflect public perceptions rather than an independent assessment of the actual distributional effects of government policies.
Political preferences again influenced responses.
Among Labour voters, 66% believed wealthy people benefited most.
Among Green, Te Pāti Māori and TOP voters, the equivalent figures ranged from 58% to 61%.
National voters were less likely to share that view, with 20% identifying wealthy people as the main beneficiaries.
The differences demonstrate how perceptions of economic fairness vary across the political spectrum.
Women and Renters Under Greater Pressure
The survey highlights two groups reporting particularly difficult financial circumstances: women and renters.
Half of the women surveyed said their household finances had deteriorated since the 2023 election, compared with just over one-third of men.
Similarly, 55% of renters reported falling behind financially, compared with 35% of outright homeowners.
These findings raise questions about the relationship between housing security, income and economic wellbeing.
Households facing high accommodation costs may have less money available for savings, essential expenses and unexpected financial emergencies.
For families with children, financial pressures can also affect access to food, transport, healthcare and educational opportunities.
The findings reinforce the importance of examining economic performance through the experiences of different household groups rather than relying solely on national averages.
Economic Growth Versus Household Reality
With political parties promoting competing approaches to economic growth, fiscal discipline, taxation and public investment, the survey highlights a fundamental question about how economic success is measured.
Economic indicators such as gross domestic product, inflation and government debt provide important information about national performance.
But they do not necessarily capture whether households are becoming more financially secure.
A country can experience improvements in some economic indicators while significant numbers of families continue to struggle with everyday expenses.
The survey suggests that household affordability and perceptions of economic fairness will remain important issues as voters consider the competing economic policies being presented during the election campaign.
For Māori communities, these debates also intersect with longstanding questions about housing, employment, wealth creation and access to opportunities.
What the Research Shows
The Talbot Mills survey was conducted online between 31 July and 11 August 2026, involving 1,008 New Zealand adults aged 18 and over.
The researchers used age, gender and regional quotas, along with weighting, to improve the sample’s representation of the adult population.
The report states a maximum sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level for the overall sample.
Results for smaller population groups may have greater uncertainty.
The findings represent respondents’ experiences and perceptions at the time of the survey and do not independently establish the causes of changes in household finances.
A Warning for Political Leaders Ahead of Election 2026
As the general election approaches, the NZCTU survey provides an important snapshot of public concern about the cost of living and the distribution of economic benefits.
With 70% of respondents dissatisfied with the Government’s response to household living costs, 43% reporting they are falling behind financially and 45% believing wealthy people benefit most from government decisions, the findings present questions for political leaders across the spectrum.
For families struggling to meet everyday expenses, the immediate measure of economic progress may be less about national growth figures and more about whether wages, housing costs and household budgets are moving in the right direction.
The central challenge facing political parties is not simply convincing voters that the economy is improving, but demonstrating how their policies will translate into greater financial security and opportunity for ordinary New Zealanders.
And for Māori whānau, the wider question remains whether the country’s economic direction is delivering meaningful improvements in living standards, financial resilience and opportunities for future generations.
Source: NZCTU Survey Report, August 2026, Talbot Mills Research.
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