Demographic facts & stats
Young people are a diverse group with varying wants, needs and interests.
Today’s youth are different to previous generations.
For example, family relationships have changed. Young people today are less likely to have two parents who live together, and a growing number of youth have step or blended family relationships.
Young people aged 12 to 24 are more ethnically diverse and have grown up with greater exposure to different cultures than older cohorts.
Gender roles and responsibilities are more flexible, providing young people with greater choices and opportunities.
The decisions young people make and the timing of key transitions such as leaving home, entering the workforce and becoming a parent have all changed significantly over recent decades.
Today’s young people are more educated and much more likely than older cohorts to participate in higher education. A growing proportion of young people aged 15 to 24 combine paid work with some form of study.
Young people are also much less likely to be married or to be parents than previous generations.
This section of Youth Statistics highlights some of these key trends and provides further information about the characteristics of the New Zealand youth population.
Use the links on the left to explore information about the size, nature and distribution of the youth population, as well as information about transitions such as moving away from the family home into new forms of living arrangements, having a child, and joining the labour-market.
