Child hardship up 47,500 since 2022, now affects one in seven

StatsNZ figures show 47,500 more children fell into material hardship — meaning families can't afford basic needs — between 2022 and 2025. The total is now nearly 170,000, or 14 percent, against a government target of six percent by 2028. CPAG chief executive Lyn Amos said the country was "absolutely going backwards."