Kiwi quality of life can be a harsh reality for some
Although we rank highly as a nice place to live, that’s not the experience for many Kiwis.
New Zealand always seems to make it onto lists ranking the best countries in the world in which to live. We tend to land outside the podium positions, but manage to be there or thereabouts.
The 2019 US News and World Report best countries list has New Zealand ranked ninth in the world for quality of life, the same as last year. To determine quality of life, researchers measured attributes such as affordability, quality of local job market, economic stability, safety, and the quality of public education and public health systems. Aussie finished 7th, and Canada and Switzerland are always high up on this list, which is dominated by Scandinavian countries.
Still, New Zealand is in the mix and for a little country that’s always prided itself (or at least told itself) it punches above its weight on the world stage, this can be comforting confirmation that – repeat after me – we are somebody.
If only there wasn’t such a disconnect between our place on those lists, and the reality of actually living here.
For more than a decade, we’ve had our own internal survey on quality of life. Run by Neilsen, it’s paid for by eight councils that cover two thirds of the country, and measures the perceptions of 7000 respondents.
Last year’s survey results are worrying reading, but won’t surprise most who call New Zealand home. The average household income in New Zealand is $100,000 a year but in Auckland, almost half of households earning between $70,000 and $100,000 struggled to make ends meet and only just had enough money for everyday needs such as accommodation, food, clothing and other necessities. A further 17 per cent in this income bracket said they don’t have enough.
In Christchurch in this income bracket, 34 per cent said they had enough money for their everyday needs, while 11 per cent said they didn’t have enough to meet these costs.
Income inequality specialist Max Rashbrooke told Stuff this week, that it may seem like a lot of income but it’s really just two people on about the living wage.
‘‘The numbers reflected that the benefits of economic growth had been denied not just to the poorest, but also average New Zealanders . . . It also signals that we are quite a low-wage economy and we have been for some time.’’
Stats NZ say New Zealand workers need to earn more than $52,100 a year before tax to be
‘The benefits of economic growth had been denied not just to the poorest, but also average New Zealanders.’ MAX RASHBROOKE
considered an above-average earner – but 40 per cent of our full-time workers are on the minimum wage of $34,320, that’s $660 a week. The median annual income for a New Zealand man working full-time is $56,700 and for a woman that amount is $47,500.
Business and Economic Research executive director and chief economist Dr Ganesh Nana told media New Zealand’s entire business model is ‘‘based on low wages’’.
We all know we live in one of the most picturesque countries in the world with snow-covered mountains, magnificent fiords, lush forests, rolling hills and beautiful beaches. And we know that, compared to most of the world, we do OK and should be grateful for things that we can often take for granted.
But appreciating those things doesn’t really matter when it comes to important things such as, you know, putting food on the table or even having a house where you could put a table to start with.
As the country’s politicians get back to work this week, the government faces a tricky balancing act of taxing, spending, developing and growing this country while dealing with the fact that many Kiwis don’t feel all that wealthy.
Behind these numbers are hardworking New Zealanders, with and without families, for whom the struggle is real.