The Government Statistician has provided a definition for ‘persistent child poverty’ and confirmed the way Stats NZ will measure it, using a mix of survey and administrative data.

Under the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018 the Government Statistician is required to define persistent child poverty before 1 July 2025.

Government Statistician and Stats NZ Chief Executive Mark Sowden has defined persistent child poverty as ‘children living in households with less than 60% of the median household equivalised disposable income before housing costs are deducted (relative rate), in the current year and for at least 2 of the previous 3 years’.

“The definition is important as we will be able to measure the number of children experiencing the impacts of ongoing low income, which will inform the development of government policies designed to improve the wellbeing of children in Aotearoa New Zealand,” Sowden said.

Visit our website to read this news story and methods paper:

• Stats NZ delivers on its commitment to measure persistent child poverty: https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/stats-nz-delivers-on-its-commitment-to-measure-persistent-child-poverty/
• Developing a methodology to measure persistent child poverty using survey and admin data: https://www.stats.govt.nz/methods/developing-a-methodology-to-measure-persistent-child-poverty-using-survey-and-admin-data/

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