• Happy and confident
• Supportive relationships
• Healthy
• Education and training
• Meaningful employment
• Economically secure
  • Low-income households
  • Housing affordability
  • Household crowding
  • Internet access
• Recreation and leisure
• Safe
• Active citizens

Economically secure

Desired outcome

Young people are economically secure and able to thrive within households that provide an adequate standard of living. 

Introduction

Economic security concerns the physical circumstances in which young people live including their access to adequate income, appropriate housing and other material resources.  Economic resources such as the quality and quantity of goods and services available to young people help to determine their standard of living and their ability to exercise choice about their lives. 

For many young people, economic security is dependent on the economic circumstances of their parents and caregivers.  As youth move through the age range and into adulthood, their own access to economic resources becomes important as a means to establish an independent and secure future for themselves.

Economic security is also important due to its impact on immediate and longer-term outcomes in other areas of young people’s lives, including health, education and justice.

Indicators

The indicators used in this section provide information about different aspects of economic security.  Due to the nature of available information sources, the majority of the indicators focus on young adults aged 15 years and over.(1)

The first indicator focuses on household income in order to report on the proportion of young people living in households with disposable income below a specific income threshold.  Access to adequate and affordable housing is a key component of a decent standard of living.  The second and third indicators measure housing affordability and household crowding. 

The final indicator in this section reports on young people’s internet access.  Young people who lack access to the internet – or the skills to use the internet – risk falling further behind in an increasingly knowledge-based society.  Access to email and websites is also important due to the role that such resources play in maintaining young people’s social relationships.

Use the links on the left to explore the indicators in this domain.

Notes

For indicator data on children young people from birth to age 18, see the 2008 Ministry of Social Development report "Children and Young People: Indicators of Wellbeing in New Zealand".