UNICEF: Budget must tackle child poverty as NZ ranks near bottom for child wellbeing 

As the Government prepares to deliver next week’s Budget, UNICEF Aotearoa is calling for urgent action to reduce child poverty and inequality after a major new UNICEF report ranked New Zealand near the bottom of wealthy countries for child wellbeing.

UNICEF Innocenti Report Card 20 ranked New Zealand 32nd out of 37 high-income countries for overall child wellbeing and found strong links between economic inequality and poorer outcomes for children.

The report found children in Aotearoa ranked:

• 37th out of 37 countries for mental wellbeing  
• 33rd for physical health  
• 23rd for skills and educational outcomes.

The findings continue a concerning trend for Aotearoa, after last year’s UNICEF Innocenti Report Card also ranked New Zealand near the bottom of wealthy countries for child wellbeing. 

UNICEF Aotearoa Chief Executive Susan Glasgow said the findings should serve as a wake-up call ahead of the Budget. 

“Too many children in Aotearoa are being left behind, and child poverty is a major driver of that. 

“This report makes clear that inequality is not just an economic issue. It affects children’s health, education, wellbeing and future opportunities.” 

The report highlights that children growing up in poverty are more likely to experience poorer physical health outcomes, lower educational achievement, and reduced wellbeing. It also found countries with higher levels of inequality consistently have worse outcomes for children overall.

New Zealand continues to have one of the higher child poverty rates among wealthy countries, with more than one in five children living in relative income poverty.

Glasgow said next week’s Budget was a critical opportunity for the Government to invest in children and reduce the inequalities holding many families back.

“We know what helps improve outcomes for children. Reducing child poverty works. 

“That means reducing pressure on low-income families and ensuring children have the basics they need to thrive, including healthy food, stable housing and access to healthcare. 

“If we want a healthier, more successful future for Aotearoa, we need to prioritise children and tackle poverty and inequality head-on."

The report recommends countries reduce economic inequality, improve access to essential services and create family-friendly policies that support adequate incomes and good working conditions.

ENDS

UNICEF Innocenti Report Card 20 looks at six indicators of child wellbeing across three dimensions: physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, and skills, and then ranks countries on how well they are doing for children. To do this, it draws on comparable data from 44 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU).

Two key datasets tell us about Aotearoa’s physical wellbeing ranking (33 out of 42) in Report Card 20. These are: 

• Child mortality (ages 5 to 14): This measures the chance that a child who has reached age 5 will die before age 15. It is shown per 1,000 children aged 5. This data comes from the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, and the most recent relevant data source is from 2023. 
• Overweight prevalence (ages 5 to 19): This measures the share of children and teenagers whose body mass index is more than one standard deviation above the World Health Organization growth reference median. The result is based on the average for boys and girls. This data comes from the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC). 

Two key datasets tell us about Aotearoa’s mental wellbeing ranking (37 out of 37) in Report Card 20. These are: 

• High life satisfaction (age 15): This measures the share of 15-year-olds who rate their life satisfaction above 5 on a scale from 0 to 10. This data comes from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and the most recent comparable data available is from 2022. 
• Suicide rate (ages 15 to 19): This measures the number of suicides per 100,000 young people aged 15 to 19, using the most recent data available. In the case of Aotearoa, the suicide rate for 15- to 19-year-olds is calculated as a three-year average from 2019 to 2021, using confirmed data from Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) and the Chief Coroner. 

Two key datasets tell us about Aotearoa’s skills ranking (23 out of 42) in Report Card 20. These are: 

• Academic proficiency (age 15): This measures the percentage of 15-year-olds who reach what PISA has agreed is the most basic level of skills needed to take part fully in society right now, which it refers to as PISA Level 2. This data comes from PISA, and the most recent comparable data available is from 2022. 
• Social skills (age 15): This measures the share of 15-year-old students who say they agree or strongly agree that they make friends easily at school. This data comes from PISA, and the most recent comparable data available is from 2022.