but Māori, Pacific poverty rates 'profoundly disturbing'
Child poverty has improved overall since 2018 according to annual figures released on Tuesday, but the statistics for Māori and Pasifika are “profoundly disturbing for New Zealand”, says Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft.
“To read that one in four Pasifika children and one in five Māori children meet the criteria for material hardship ought to shock all New Zealanders,” Becroft said after the release of the official child poverty statistics. It was “plainly unacceptable in a civilised community”.
Child poverty is officially measured in a number of ways, and they all showed downward trends, Stats NZ said.
The statistics only covered the nine months to March 2020 due to Covid-19 disruption, but Stats NZ said it had confidence in the data.
Link to video and article: Child poverty declines, but Māori, Pacific poverty rates 'profoundly disturbing' | Stuff.co.nz
