Relevance
ELSI is an indicator of how people are living in terms of their possessions, activities and how they get by financially. Having a low living standard limits a person's ability to participate in the wider society, curtails quality of life, and can have negative long-term consequences across a wide range of social and economic outcomes.
Current Level
In 2000, four percent of the total population had 'very restricted' living standards, five percent had 'restricted' living standards and a further 11 percent had 'somewhat restricted' living standards. In total, 20 percent of the population had living standards in the bottom three levels of the ELSI scale.
Figure EC4.1 Proportion of the
population with lower living standards, 2000
Source: Krishnan et al (2002), p40
Population Group Differences
Groups with higher than average prevalence of lower living standards include sole-parent families (51 percent), families who rely on income-tested benefits (57 percent), families with dependent children (particularly larger families), Māori and Pacific people (39 percent and 42 percent, respectively), and those living in rented dwellings. Dependent children are more at risk of low living standards than the population average. The probability of having low living standards declines with age, except for a slight increase during peak child-rearing years.
Table EC4.1 Proportion of population and economic families with lower living standards (ELSI Levels 1-3), 2000
| Percent | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 20 |
| Males | 18 |
| Females | 21 |
| Total economic families | 18 |
| Age groups | |
| Dependent children (under 18 years) | 29 |
| 18-24 years | 16 |
| 25-44 years | 19 |
| 45-64 years | 16 |
| 65 years and over | 7 |
| Economic families | |
| With one dependent child | 25 |
| With two dependent children | 24 |
| With three or more dependent children | 35 |
| Sole parent family | 51 |
| Two parent family | 18 |
| Economic families | |
| With any Māori members | 39 |
| With any Pacific members | 42 |
| With any European/Pākehā members | 15 |
| With any 'Other' ethnic group members | 22 |
| Economic families with main source of income | |
| New Zealand Superannuation | 7 |
| Income-tested benefits | 57 |
| Market income | 14 |
| Housing tenure | |
| Rented - Housing New Zealand | 63 |
| Rented - Private | 33 |
| Rented - Local Authority | 30 |
| Owned with mortgage | 22 |
| Owned without mortgage | 8 |
Source: Krishnan et al (2002)
