Housing affordability

Age differences

The likelihood of living in a household with high housing costs relative to income decreases with age. 

In 2003/2004, around 29 percent of children and youth compared to 5.9 percent of people aged 65 years and over lived in households spending 30 percent or more of their income on housing. 

Proportion of population living in households with housing costs, selected years 1988-2007
Age group 1988
%		 1993
%		 1998
%		 2001
%		 2004
%		 2007
%
Under 18 years 11.9 27.1 37.1 34.2 29.2 31.7
18-24 12.4 24.6 26.1 28.6 29.0 28.9
25-44 14.7 26.3 31.1 28.0 25.0 32.8
45-64 5.0 12.2 13.8 15.5 15.4 19.0
65+ 3.2 4.0 7.1 7.1 5.9 9.1

Source: Derived from Statistics New Zealand’s Household Economic Survey by the Ministry of Social Development.