New Zealand Now - Children (Census 96) (1998) - Reference Reports
What It's About
Children represent both the present and future. New Zealand Now - Children contains statistics on children which help illustrate their demographic, social and economic position. Children are defined in this publication as those aged under 15 years.
Fact! In 1996 there were 832,000 children in New Zealand, making up 23 percent of the total population.
Fact! Children make up a greater proportion of Mäori and Pacific Island communities than they do other ethnic groups.
This publication provides information on changes in the child population, family structure, health and education, parents' patterns of work and other factors which determine children's levels of economic well-being.
Chapter 1
Introduction
Children represent both the present and the future. As young dependants whose social and economic circumstances reflect those of their parents, their position is indicative of broader patterns in New Zealand society. As tomorrow's adults, the foundation they have in life and the opportunities and prospects available to them are critical to the country's future. Statistics on children, who are defined in this publication as those aged under 15 years, help to illustrate the position of New Zealand's children in their social, demographic and economic context. Such information should improve public understanding of the position of children and inform policy makers who are charged with addressing issues of importance to the present and future lives of children.
In 1996 there were around 832,000 children in New Zealand, making up 23.0 percent of the total population. Chapter 2 looks at the size, composition and location of New Zealand's child population and how this has varied over time. The number of children in the population has fluctuated according to trends in childbearing including rates of fertility, the number of people in the reproductive age groups and the ages at which people are having children. New Zealand's child population grew considerably as a result of the post-World War II baby boom but declined between 1976 and 1991. Despite a recent period of growth the number of children is projected to decline through the first half of next century and make up a progressively smaller share of the population. The composition of the child population is also changing. An increasing number are overseas-born and the ethnic makeup of the population is becoming increasingly diverse. Children also make up a much greater proportion of the population in the Mäori and Pacific Islands communities than they do in other ethnic groups.
Health and education are issues of special relevance to children, affecting their physical and economic well-being not only in the present but also in the future. Chapter 3 looks at a number of factors related to children's health including life expectancy, infant mortality, hospitalisation, disability and use of health services. Statistics on children's participation and achievement in education at school level present a rather homogenous picture as school attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16, and by the age of 15 few children have participated in public examinations. However, Chapter 3 does present figures on the growing participation in an increasingly diverse range of preschool education services and also information comparing the achievement of New Zealand schoolchildren in mathematics and science with that of children in other countries.
Much of a child's life is centred on the family and the home. For most children the family provides the context within which they are nurtured and socialised. It is also the economic unit which determines their standard of living and can have a major bearing on their life chances in areas such as health, education and future socio-economic status. Chapter 4 looks at the types of families and households in which children live and how this has changed over recent years. Most children continue to live in the traditional two-parent family in a single family household. However, changing patterns of family formation and dissolution, increasing ethnic diversity and economic hardship have promoted a growing diversity of family and household types, such as sole-parent or de facto-couple families and households which are shared with other families and individuals. There is also considerable variation between ethnic groups, with Mäori and Pacific Islands people in particular being less likely than Europeans to live in the traditional two-parent single-family household.
Changes in patterns of family formation also influence the economic circumstances of children's lives. Whether parents are sole or partnered, the size of families and households and the age at which people have children are just some of the factors influencing parents' ability to participate in the labour force and how much money they have to provide for children's needs. Changes in the broader economic climate, including trends in the labour market and benefit levels, are also important determinants of children's economic well-being. Chapter 5 looks at children's economic circumstances, focusing primarily on their parents' participation in the labour force and the levels and sources of family income. It also examines changes over recent years and differences in the circumstances of children belonging to different ethnic groups and family types. Among the more significant trends are the increasing participation of mothers in paid work and the decreasing participation of fathers. While the traditional arrangement of a father in full-time employment and a mother who is not in paid work remains the most prevalent working arrangement for parents, it is becoming less common. It is also becoming increasingly common for children to have no parent in paid employment, with almost a quarter of children in this position in 1996. Children's economic circumstances also tend to vary by ethnicity and family type, with Mäori and Pacific Islands children and those in sole-parent families more likely to be in low-income and benefit-dependent families.
This profile of New Zealand's children shows a very diverse population experiencing significant change. New Zealand's future will be shaped by today's children. Therefore a proper understanding of the lives and characteristics of this group is of importance not only in respect of contemporary issues but also of New Zealand's future direction.
The free downloadable report is in Adobe Acrobat reader 4 format
Published 18 June 1999
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