Wellington, April 10 (IANS) New data from the New Zealand 2023 Census highlights changes in family structures, evolving social fabric, and increasing ethnic diversity across households.
The census, published on Thursday, provides deeper insights into New Zealanders’ lifestyles and changing family structures, such as more adult children living at home and male sole parents on the rise.
In 2023, 34.5 per cent of families with children included at least one adult child, up 27.3 per cent since 2013, Xinhua news agency reported. This trend was even more pronounced among Pacific peoples families, at 38.7 per cent, the census showed.
“This may reflect increased cost-of-living pressures,” said Stats NZ principal analyst Rosemary Goodyear.
The number of sole-parent families with dependent children reached approximately 138,000, with 17.8 per cent headed by men, up from 15.8 per cent in 2013, the latest statistics show.
Male sole parents were more common when children were older, and tend to be more likely employed full-time, while female sole parents are more often caring for younger children, Goodyear said.
The data also confirms New Zealand’s growing diversity: In 2023, about 79 per cent of households had at least one European member, down from 2018; more than 17 per cent had at least one Asian member.
The proportions of Maori, Pacific, and Asian households all increased since the last census, statistics show.
European households were the most likely to consist of one or two people, while Pacific households were the most likely to include five or more, it said.
Meanwhile, the figures revealed by the statistics department ‘Stats NZ’ on Thursday revealed that New Zealand’s household net disposable income grew 1.5 per cent to 59.4 billion NZ dollars in the December 2024 quarter.
The growth was driven primarily by a 6.5 per cent rise in earnings from self-employed business owners, Stats NZ said.
“Increases in the income from self-employed business owners and partnerships meant that household income rose during the December 2024 quarter, despite a decrease in salaries and wages for the second quarter in a row,” Stats NZ institutional sectors spokesperson James Mitchell said.
This increase in income to self-employed business owners was primarily from businesses in the agriculture, forestry, and residential rental property industries, Mitchell said.
Household spending also rose 0.8 per cent to 60.9 billion NZ dollars in the last quarter of 2024, fueled by higher expenditures on services, particularly international and domestic travel, as well as dining out and takeaway meals, he said.
As disposable income outpaced spending growth, household savings improved by 429 million NZ dollars, reducing the deficit to -1.4 billion NZ dollars in the December 2024 quarter.
Household net disposable income represents the money available for a household to spend, save, or invest.
–IANS
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