Distributions and Disparity: New Zealand Household Incomes

This report builds on an earlier report (M. Mowbray, Incomes Monitoring Report 1981 - 1991, Social Policy Agency, 1993) on household income distributions, extending the trend series presented in that report through from 1991 to 1998. The updated report also provides a more detailed examination of income trends and relativities for households shown to be disadvantaged in the previous monitoring report and likely to include household members of particular interest to social policymakers - for example, children and young people, superannuitants, Maori or Pacific Islands adults, sole parents or beneficiaries. Comparisons between different household types and examination of changes in income distribution over time are based on real equivalent incomes (incomes adjusted to take account of changes over time in purchasing power and differences in household size and composition). A range of other material which might inform debate about income levels is also presented.