Social policy & Parliamentary unit

From the Director – Introduction

This is our 18th State of the Nation report, and it is therefore timely to remind ourselves of their purpose. These reports focus on the heart of any society—people—he tangata, he tangata, he tangata. When all people have what they require to meet essential needs, fulfil their potential and contribute, we have a society that is healthy. While we frequently hear about consumers price index (CPI), interest rates, gross domestic product (GDP) and other economic measures, there is less coverage about how people are doing. State of the Nation redresses this imbalance by researching trends across a range of issues that impact on the wellbeing of individuals and whānau. The Salvation Army sees more than 135,000 vulnerable people through our services every year, and this report is particularly concerned with how those people’s needs are being met in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This year our theme focuses on three things we know people need to live well—kai, kainga and whānau. When people have food security and a warm, dry, affordable home, then they have the basis for nurturing a healthy family and positive relationships.

In measuring our progress, we aim to be fair and actively look for evidence of progress. This year, we can find few areas of improvement and, in many cases, indicators have worsened, making it harder for people to have what they need in terms of kai, kainga and whānau. Unemployment is rising, and as of December 2024 we have 400,000 people needing welfare support—the highest since the 1990s. Food insecurity amongst families with children has risen sharply, and half of all Pacific children go without food often or sometimes. While there has been a good increase in the number of social housing units available, that building programme is reducing, and rent for private rentals continues to be unaffordable for many on low incomes. Our prison population has grown, and remains high compared to other more economically developed countries (MEDC), and while crime overall has declined, violent crime is increasing.

The data shows that Māori continue to experience inequities in terms of life outcomes. More than one in four Māori whānau report that their family is doing badly or not well, higher than in 2018. Māori are also twice as likely to be the victim of a violent crime and continue to be over-represented in the prison population, with a 6.8 percent higher rate of imprisonment than non-Māori. Kai, kainga and whānau are getting more difficult for Māori. Where there are positive signs for Māori, this is often
in association with Māori-led initiatives that focus on meeting Māori needs and improving equity of access to services and support. In areas such as reducing the need or children to be in care and improving educational outcomes, Māori-led initiatives show positive results. However, recent survey data shows that Māori are increasingly uncertain about their ability to express and uphold their identify as Māori — possibly in response to the public debates about Te Tiriti and the funding of Māori-specific services.

In the face of these largely negative trends, The Salvation Army asks Aotearoa to do better for people. As a nation we need to consider:

How do we better tackle child poverty in the short term, recognising that childhood experience is a determinant for later life, and so our children in poverty need help now?
Given the trend in unemployment and the need for welfare, how do we best work with those on benefits in a way that is mana enhancing?
How can the community, businesses and government work together to ensure we increase our stock of affordable housing?
Can we commit to dealing with the underlying causes of crime, and to improving recidivism rates through the right support and interventions?
Can we uphold Te Tiriti in practical ways, through supporting Māori-led initiatives that work appropriately with Māori whānau and communities?

Given the direction our social measures are taking, we urgently need to draw on experts, research and lived experience about what works to create a society where people flourish. We cannot wish these issues away or wait for the right time in an economic cycle.

Dr Bonnie Robinson

Director—The Salvation Army Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit

INTRODUCTION

The Salvation Army—Te Ope Whakaora, the Army that brings life— is working every day with communities, whānau and individuals right around the country. In this report, the wellbeing of our nation is assessed by looking at outcomes that impact people and communities. We look at measures across the following areas: Children and Youth, Work and Incomes, Housing, Crime and Punishment and Social Hazards. We also assess all these areas through a specific focus on outcomes for Māori, using He Ara Waiora wellbeing framework.

The aim of this report is to focus on trends and outcomes at a national level to see what they can tell us about the overall state of our nation at the beginning of 2025. The statistics and data are mostly drawn from publicly available sources, and we aim to use the most recently available indicators for the year to 31 December 2024.

The indicators in each section are grouped into themes, and an assessment is made as to whether there is overall improvement (+), no change (NC) or deterioration (–). NA indicates where data is unavailable.

These assessments are intended to promote debate and discussion about our progress towards greater wellbeing.

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