Mr and Mrs Middle New Zealand: Median NZ household income falls

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Median NZ household income falls

3News NZ

When you look at household incomes throughout New Zealand, it may surprise you to find out that while the average has increased to $79,000, the median household income has fallen.

What's the difference?

An average can be skewed by very high figures. So if the top 10 percent earned more while everyone else stayed the same, the average would increase.

But the median simply measures the middle, so for it to drop suggests more people are earning less.

$62,853 - half of all New Zealand households earn more than that, half earn less.

Reporter Lachlan Forsyth explores what seems to be a growing problem with being able to afford to live in New Zealand.

Watch the video to see his report.

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Comments

16/05/2013 7:15:26 p.m.

frank wrote:

Whoa that is so cold Michelle. Only a tiny part of your taxes would be going towards feeding them. Every kid deserves food. Maybe their parents made poor life decisions and maybe they didn't, but that's not the point. They didn't choose their parents. Imagine if you grew up with a solo parent who couldn't afford to feed you. You'd still deserve a good start in life. And you don't even want to put a tiny part of your taxes towards that. Cold

5/05/2013 9:48:34 p.m.

michelle wrote:

my question is Y should I have to pay for others to have children and to live? I want a child BUT I cannot afford one, therefore, I cant. I worked at a garage part time, put myself through uni, and now have a good job. But I DID it myself without any help from the government and family. People need to wake up, we all choose how we live. People should NOT expect the government (or in fact ME) to support them. Wake up, get a job to support yourself and your kids. If you cant afford them, then dont have them.

30/11/2012 10:53:03 p.m.

Late to the party wrote:

2 kids at 21 on $30k a year has me confused. What are you doing man? You should have grown up before complaining here.

11/08/2012 11:19:27 a.m.

KGEE wrote:

This is really interesting 62K average income. I understand Amanda's situation, I've been there. The government does little to support, creativity on how to save money is not a skill taught @ school and we go hungry trying to "get in the system" and off benefits. Healthy children is a priority, but expensive for beneficiaries in NZ. Well educated children is priority, but expensive for beneficiaries in NZ. Higher education for parents is empowering us toward better paying jobs, but almost out of reach for beneficiaries in NZ. Stats say most beneficiaries don't choose this way of life, in fact use it for 6 years or so as a stepping stone to paying work. The debt I created to start in a minimum wage job, cover daily costs and childcare for 2 kids, created more stress than parents deserve and perhaps some cannot handle- not surprisingly. I pay taxes and feel children and education are not important enough. Poverty is rife. Child illness is rife. Bad housing is rife. Food is expensive and families are suffering. Not good looking NZ government!

24/05/2012 7:44:10 p.m.

Mike wrote:

Looking at minimin wage and benifits,in some cases benifits pay more, than working. The cost of living has increased so much that it now costs $100 more aweek to live. Some people dont have enough money like $20 for food aweek after the bills come out like rent and power, and sacrufice the rent for food, then lose the roof over their head.How many people does the current Government want living in cardboard boxes and children out of school like up in Northland Regards Mike

23/05/2012 4:06:28 p.m.

MONIQUE wrote:

My husband has been working for many years as a Security Officer and putting himself on the line for noise control (unacoompanied), assisting police in violent confrontations, manning crime scenes and being called at 3am for animal jobs for $15 an hour. I think this is a pitiful amount for such a dangerous job and I can't understand why these guys are under the umbrella of the foodservice workers union, they need their own organisation and deserve to be recognised for their efforts. My husband has had numerous letters and emails to his boss from the police, grateful for his hardwork, shame othersd can't do that. Some security companies are making fantastic money but the staff that are working all the hours they can to make ends meet, are getting used and abused and very rarely get thanked. Pay should reflect a persons efforts and the risk in their job. I would loove you to do an expose on that one day - NZ wide

22/05/2012 9:56:58 p.m.

amanda wrote:

im a single mum of 2, have been receiving benefit while raising my kids. things have been hard, but we have managed, that is until i got a wonderful opportunity to work part time. now that i am working 17.5hrs a week, my benefit rate has dropped so much that now with my wages and benefit combined, i now get 110.00 less each week. i love my work, and this could lead to a career, but now i can barely pay my bills, let alone feed my kids. so trying to do something to better my life has left me worse off. i really dont understand why this is how our system works, that i would get paid more to sit at home on a benefit, than to try and work, but this is yet another example of getting poorer, and being unable to afford to live nz. good on you campbell live for addressing such issues, and i really hope things change for the better, not just for me and my family, but for the many other families out there trying to work and do things right, but are left struggling.

22/05/2012 9:08:58 p.m.

Tamie-Lee wrote:

Think $60,000 is hard to live on, try living on $13,500 a year..

22/05/2012 7:45:17 p.m.

Simon wrote:

I know the solution to the problem of our economic situation, but your not going to like it. It starts at the begining. The land registery dart base. The value of property needs to be slashed by at least two thirds. Many people will loose including Govt, but the majority will win. It will save the current system. without radical change in this way, the system as we know it will collapse.

22/05/2012 7:41:24 p.m.

Anaconda wrote:

Try living on a sickness benefit. We have $164 pw after we pay the mortgage, rates, house insurance and power. We have car and contents insurance. We have the luxury of home phone and internet. This leaves us $124 for food, transport, doctors etc. We feed 3 people. Maybe Campbell live would like to take on that challenge for a month or 2?