Source: Statistics New Zealand
Stats NZ updates material hardship measure for child poverty statistics – news story
16 January 2026
Stats NZ has changed how we measure material hardship to ensure continuity between the new Household Income and Living Survey (HILS) and the Household Economic Survey (HES) it replaced in 2024.
HILS was introduced to streamline and modernise how Stats NZ collects and produces household income, expenditure, net worth, and child poverty statistics. It incorporates updated collection technology and questionnaire design to reduce the survey burden on respondents and improve data quality. To address the impact of these design changes, the Government Statistician has made the decision to update the methodology used to measure material hardship.
In February 2026, Stats NZ will produce material hardship statistics using an updated methodology that includes the use of a new 18-item index called MH-18.
Visit our website to read the full news story and methods paper:
