State of Pacific Peoples shows progress amid challenges

The Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit’s latest State of Pacific Peoples report reveals that while progress has been made in areas such as employment and crime reduction within Pacific communities, significant challenges persist, particularly around child poverty, educational achievement and family violence. The deepening housing crisis remains central to many of these ongoing issues, disproportionately affecting Pacific communities across Aotearoa.

The report compiles existing data to provide a snapshot of the social progress of Pacific people in Aotearoa over the past decade. Following on from This is Home and More Than Churches, Rugby, and Festivals, reports published a decade ago by The Salvation Army, this report examines five key areas: Children and Youth, Work and Incomes, Housing, Crime and Punishment and Social Hazards. The findings present a mixed picture.

"This report offers an opportunity to reflect on where we’ve seen real progress and where we still need to push for change," says Ana Ika, policy analyst at The Salvation Army. "While there have been encouraging strides, there are still critical areas requiring focused attention to improve outcomes for Pacific communities."

In the past decade, Pacific communities have achieved significant milestones. The youth suicide rate has more than halved, the number of Pacific people employed has nearly doubled, and the number of youth offenders has dropped by two-thirds. Additionally, Pacific people leaving prison are less likely to be reimprisoned or reconvicted compared with the general population. These successes highlight the importance of continued investment in areas that have already shown improvement.

However, Ika notes, "Despite these gains, challenges like child poverty, housing instability, and educational disparities continue to impact the wellbeing of Pacific families. When one of these critical needs is unmet, it triggers a ripple effect, slowing progress in other areas."

For example, more than 5000 children have been lifted out of material hardship since 2019, but in contrast the number of Pacific children in material hardship has increased by nearly 5000. With child poverty targets rising, an estimated 23,000 children could be left behind—and Pacific children are likely to make up a significant portion of those impacted. School attendance has declined sharply, and only 20 percent of Pacific students currently achieve University Entrance. Although Pacific people's average earnings have increased, they remain nearly $10,000 lower than the general population, and Pacific households have the lowest disposable income of any ethnic group.

Housing insecurity is a significant concern. In high Pacific population areas like Cannons Creek North (Wellington), rents have surged by 110 percent over the past decade, and Favona North (Auckland) has seen a 71 percent increase—making many private rentals unaffordable. Hazardous drinking and drug use have also increased over the past 10 years.

Additionally, Pacific communities are disproportionately affected by gambling harm. In Mangere–Otahuhu, where 60 percent of the population is Pacific, the sinking lid policy has removed 16 pokie machines over nine years, yet losses per machine have risen by 67 percent, from $82K to $137K annually. The prevalence of bottle stores and pokie machines in these areas exacerbates the harm.

"Although these challenges are significant, they also present opportunities for real change," says Ika. "With targeted investment in key areas like housing, education, gambling, workforce development as well as alcohol and harm minimisation, we can make lasting improvements for Pacific communities across Aotearoa."

The State of Pacific Peoples report is not meant to reinforce negative stereotypes but rather to foster a productive dialogue on how to collectively address these issues while building on existing progress.

"This is about learning from our successes and refining our approach where progress has been slower," Ika adds. "Pacific communities are an integral part of Aotearoa, and our collective future depends on addressing these challenges together."

Read the Report: https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/article/state-pacific-peoples-2024

The Salvation Army Territorial Media Officer, 021 945 337, email: media@salvationarmy.org.nz (The Media Officer responds to enquiries from media outlets and journalists. If you would like to donate, are in need of help, or have some other non-media-related enquiry, please call 0800 53 00 00.)