Children and Youth
Our vision for children and young people in this country is for all of them to grow up free of poverty, safe from harm, with good education and skills for a fulfilled life. The indicators in this section attempt to capture how well we are doing at supporting the country’s 1.2 million children and young people to achieve this.
Child poverty rates increased in the year to June 2024 (the most recent figures) and the number of children in material hardship in 2024 was higher than the current (2018) baseline for measuring progress. The number of children in households needing to access main welfare benefits continued to increase in 2025, likely contributing to further hardship for children.
Number of children in benefit households—2015–2025
There was a large increase in the number of reports of concern and a large increase in the number of children who were substantiated as victims of abuse and neglect. The number of children in state care however remained unchanged compared with 2024.
Violence against children is high. Violent offending against children continued to increase and the number of children admitted to hospital with injuries as a result of assault, abuse or neglect has increased over the past five years.
Hospitalisations due to assault, abuse or neglect—2015–2025 (June years)
Youth offending decreased slightly in 2025, and remains at substantially lower levels than a decade ago.
Early childhood education enrolments increased slightly in 2024 (most recent data), but the proportion of children taking part in early childhood education prior to starting school remained largely unchanged.
Educational attainment outcomes were mixed; the proportion of students leaving school with less than NCEA Level 1 qualification in 2024 increased, while there was also an increase in the proportion of students attaining university entrance or higher.
The high rate of mental distress among young people continued in 2025 and remains at levels three times higher than a decade ago. Youth suicide rates were little changed in 2025 from 2024.
Percentage of young people aged 15–24 years reporting high or very high psychological distress—2014–2025
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Data: Interactive Dashboard
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