From the Director—Introduction

Mihi Whakatau

He hōnore, he korōria, ki te Atua, he maungārongo ki te whenua, he whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa.

Kia whai korōria ki te Matua, te Tama, te Wairua Tapu, me ōna āhuatanga katoa, kōia tēnei ko te rangi me te whenua, me ōna tino āhutanga katoa kei waenganui. Kei tō tātou Matua nui i te rangi. Tēnei tō whakaminenga e hāpai ana i muri, i ō tāonga katoa i hōmai kia mātou e takahi ana i runga i te mata o te whenua.

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha o te motu, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

E mihi ana ki ngā poutokomanawa o ngā whare maire a ngā mātua tūpuna, ko ngā whatukura, ngā marae kura, kua toko ki te pō, kua ngaro nei i te tirohanga kanohi. Whakangaro atu nei koutou ki te pūtahitanga o Rēhua.

Tau a rae ki te pō, tītoko ki te ao mārama.

Tātou e waha ake i te kupu, tēnā tātou katoa.

Ki te hunga nānā nei te kaupapa, nānā nei koutou i whaiwhakaaro ake, kia kōwhaiwhaitia ngā pakitara o te whare, ki ngā kōrero, ki ngā whakaaro a Pou Tangata, hei tirohanga mō te oranga tangata, otirā, ki ngā ringa tehe o Te Ope Whakaora e kawe nei i te wāhanga e whai reo ai te hunga e taumaha ana, tēnā koutou.

Kei te puku o te kaupapa nānā nei tātou i whai wāhi ake nei ki te pūrongo nei, a State of the Nation.

E whai wāhi ake ai, ki te ia, o ngā kaupapa e here kore nei ki a tātou i roto i Te Ope Whakaora, e ngākau māhaki ana ki te tirohanga Pou tarāwhao o Te Oranga o Te Whānau, o te tangata, o te whānau, ahakoa rā, nō hea anō hoki koe, tēnei te mihi taioreore kia koutou katoa.

Kei ngā ringa tehe o SPPU, tēnā koutou i ā kotou werawera, i ā koutou manawa kōhatu ki ngā

āputa o tēnei ripoata, e whai wāhi ake ai, te reo, te wairua me te whatumanawa o te rawakore me te pōhara, e noho kainga kore ana. Me te wawata nui nei, kia whai wāhi ake ai te pūrongo hei whaikōrero i te pūrākau o te hunga takahi ana i ngā ara o te uaua, hei whai manaakitanga.

Glory and honour to God on high, peace upon the land and goodwill to all people.

To the esteemed leaders and guardians, to the many voices and to the many peoples of the land, greetings to you all.

We acknowledge our ancestral houses—our ancestors, and those who have journeyed beyond the veil and are now at rest. You have passed from the realm of darkness into the realm of light. Though you are no longer seen, your legacy endures among us.

To those of us who remain upon this earth, bearing the treasures passed down, we extend our greeting to you all. To those who have guided and shaped this kaupapa, those who have carefully considered how the walls of this house might be adorned with the wisdom and insights of Pou Tangata, offering a lens through which to view human wellbeing and to the dedicated hands within Te Ope Whakaora who ensure that the voices of the burdened and marginalised are heard, we acknowledge and thank you.

At the heart of this kaupapa lies the State of the Nation report, in which we now take part. This report engages with the currents of issues that bind us within Te Ope Whakaora. It approaches these matters with humility, drawing upon the framework of Te Ora o Te Whānau as a means of understanding the wellbeing of individuals and whānau, regardless of their background or circumstances. To you all, we extend this sincere and enduring acknowledgement.

To the diligent team within the Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit (SPPU), we recognise your tireless efforts, your resilience and your steadfast commitment in shaping the findings of this report. Through your work, the voices, spirit and lived realities of those experiencing poverty, hardship and homelessness are brought to the fore. It is our deep hope that this report will serve as a meaningful narrative, a powerful testimony to the journeys of those who walk difficult paths and that it will inspire compassion, action and genuine care for their wellbeing.

Dr Richard Kerr-Bell, Tumu Whakarae Te Tai Aroha—National Director Māori Ministry

From the Director

Looking to the Foundations of Wellbeing

The State of the Nation report is a yearly deep dive into a variety of publicly available statistics, and some data from The Salvation Army’s own service delivery. This information indicates how well Aotearoa New Zealand is travelling in terms of our social wellbeing.

As we look at the data we aim to be fair and show evidence of progress, even if it is fledgling, as well as highlighting areas where we have remained static or gone backwards.

The areas we explore in this report can be regarded as the foundations of wellbeing. When children and young people are thriving, when people have employment that pays a living wage, welfare that is adequate, healthy kai (food) and a stable home, and when communities are protected from social hazards, then we have the basis for wellbeing for all.

This year, we take a new approach by drawing on Te Ora o Te Whānau—a wellbeing framework. The framework was originally developed by Pou Tangata, grounded in He Ara Wairoa, and shaped by the late Professor Dr Manuka Henare. This framework asks those who use it to examine data through a lens that connects measurable indicators with deeper structural and behavioural dimensions of wellbeing—dimensions that are foundational to thriving and flourishing communities.

The framework examines four interconnected factors that used together enable analysis of both symptoms and root causes of social distress:

Kawa (intrinsic quality of life)—how deep and important aspects of wellbeing like identity, belonging, aspiration and agency are affected by different supports, constraints and barriers.
Tikanga (structural and societal factors)—how systems enable or constrain access to wellbeing.
Ritenga (behavioural factors)—how people navigate choices within constrained options.
Āhuatanga (observable symptoms)—the measurable indicators and their systemic causes.

We acknowledge that we are learners in this area of weaving hard statistics with a different lens and a holistic understanding of analysis.

Starting to utilise this framework in State of the Nation 2026 is an expression of The Salvation Army’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the living out of this covenant in policy and practice.

As part of incorporating this framework, this year we have included some case stories from the frontline of The Salvation Army’s social services. These stories include whānau (families) who have previously engaged with Salvation Army services and now give back as kaimahi (workers)—in faith-based roles, volunteering or as employees. They include passionate kaimahi who walk alongside whānau, and their stories reveal hope that endures and resilience that persists every day in communities. They offer glimpses into what works, not as fixed solutions, but as lived examples of how whānau and communities can, with resources and support, navigate systems, maintain cultural connections and continue to thrive, even in the face of significant barriers.

In using these stories, we do not want to hide or deny the harsh reality that sits behind many of the statistics in this report. However, in the face of what seem like unrelenting and endemic problems, we do need spaces of hope. Not an unrealistic hope. Not a hope that suggests that if people just try harder things can change for them. But real hope of real change, where all sectors of society—individuals, whānau, communities, business and government—play their appropriate part.

The statistics tell us that we cannot solve social wellbeing deficits one person at a time. Without change to the underlying drivers of the statistics in this report, as a nation we simply farm these issues, helping some, while at the same time more people come through the funnel of need.

Real wellbeing comes when we work at all levels—societal, community, family and individual—simultaneously and with a consistent focus on he tangata—the people. State of the Nation 2026 is part of The Salvation Army’s contribution to this collective and urgent work.

Dr Bonnie Robinson MNZM, Justice and Research Stream Lead and Director 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, Social Hazards and Māori Wellbeing through Te Ora o Te Whānau.

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 2026. 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 2025.

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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Data: Interactive Dashboard

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