Latest news with #StatsNZ
1News
11 hours ago
- Health
- 1News
Māori see highest increase in life expectancy
Māori life expectancy has increased more than any other ethnic group between 2005-2007 and 2022-2024, but still remains lower than other ethnic populations, new figures have shown. Stats NZ published new figures today, revealing Māori life expectancy was 75.8 years in 2022-2024, up 3.1 years from 2005-2007. For people who identified as 'European or Other' – which includes New Zealander – Pacific, or Asian ethnicities, each increased by 1.5-1.6 years in the same period. In 2022–2024, life expectancy at birth for other ethnicities was: • 81.8 years for the population of Aotearoa New Zealand as a whole ADVERTISEMENT • 82.8 years for people who identify with European or Other (including New Zealander) ethnicities • 76.9 years for people who identify with a Pacific ethnicity • 86.3 years for people who identify with an Asian ethnicity. Victoria Treliving is the Stats NZ spokesperson on population estimates, projections, and coverage. She said: 'Although life expectancy has increased since 2005–2007, the size of this increase has reduced over the past five years across all ethnicities – while Māori have continued to show some of the largest increases.' She added that male life expectancy across all ethnic groups has increased faster than for females. For Māori males, in 2022-2024 life expectancy was 73.7 compared to 70.4 in 2005-2007. For the same period, Māori females jumped from 75.1 to 78. Life expectancy at birth by ethnic group and sex 2005-2007 and 2022-2024
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Health
- Scoop
Māori Have Highest Increases In Life Expectancy
Life expectancy at birth for people identifying with the Māori ethnic group increased more than that of other broad ethnic groups between 2005–2007 and 2022–2024, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. However, life expectancy for Māori remains lower than that of other ethnic populations. Life expectancy at birth for people who identify as Māori was 75.8 years in 2022–2024, up 3.1 years from 2005–2007. Over the same period, life expectancy at birth for people who identify with 'European or Other', Pacific, or Asian ethnicities each increased by 1.5–1.6 years. In 2022–2024, life expectancy at birth was: 81.8 years for the population of Aotearoa New Zealand as a whole 82.8 years for people who identify with European or Other (including New Zealander) ethnicities 76.9 years for people who identify with a Pacific ethnicity 86.3 years for people who identify with an Asian ethnicity. Visit our website to read this news story and information release and to download CSV files: Māori have highest increases in life expectancy - National and subnational period life tables: 2022–2024 - CSV files for download -
RNZ News
18 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
Chinese cuisine to warm the soul this winter
A bowl of steamed dumplings is served during Chinese New Year. Photo: 123rf The cold winter months are an ideal time to prepare warm, restorative dishes that can fortify the soul. A range of ingredients are believed to rejuvenate the body, according to Chinese culinary tradition. Meat features prominently in such dishes, but there are usually plenty of delectable vegetarian options available as well as majestic hot pots. "No banquet is complete without chicken," according to an age-old Cantonese proverb, and so it's perhaps not surprising that poultry features prominently in many Chinese winter dishes. Hakka pepper chicken in pig's stomach can almost be described as a soulful pot of intensity. In this dish, a whole chicken is carefully wrapped inside a cleaned pig's stomach and slowly simmered with white peppercorns, ginger, goji berries and other herbs. The result is a creamy, milky broth bursting with aroma, with tender strips of chicken and chewy tripe that warms from within. Turning to a mainstay of Macanese cuisine, Portuguese chicken isn't what it sounds like. It's a dish that is born of Portuguese colonial influence but is distinctly local, blending coconut milk, curry, turmeric and baked potatoes in a sauce that turns pan-fried chicken golden with red hues. Aromatic and subtly spicy, the dish can be described as a showstopper. From the Tibetan Plateau comes stone pot chicken , a specialty from the Lulang grasslands in China's Tibet Autonomous Region. In this dish, highland chicken is simmered with matsutake mushrooms, ginseng root and goji berries in a hand-carved stone pot filled with alpine spring water. The stone pot's heat retention properties give the ingredients an earthy, herbal taste. A fusion of cultures: New Zealand lamb turned into classic Chinese-style BBQ skewers. Photo: Ruth Kuo According to latest Stats NZ data, an estimated 23.6 million sheep are registered on farms nationwide - roughly 4.5 animals per person. In short, one could say there's plenty of lamb to go around. In traditional Chinese medicine, lamb is classified as a "yang" ingredient - ideal for expelling cold and replenishing energy. Taiwanese mutton hotpot is a dish that uses mountain goat simmered with medicinal herbs such as angelica root and red dates. Tofu skin, daikon, napa cabbage and enoki mushrooms are then added to create a bubbling cauldron that fills the body with warmth. Meanwhile, lamb offal soup can typically be found in Chinese provinces such Shaanxi, Ningxia and Henan. The dish is renowned for its depth of flavour, with various lamb offal cooked in a peppery broth, completed with handfuls of coriander and liberal dashes of white pepper and served with flat noodles or vermicelli. A more delicate expression comes from Ningxia province in the form of steamed lamb with rice powder . Finely sliced young lamb is marinated, coated in seasoned ground rice and steamed until meltingly soft. With its rich flavor and nourishing qualities, beef takes center stage in many Chinese winter dishes. Sichuan boiled beef is not for the faint of heart and yet is perfect fare for winter warriors. Thin slices of beef are flash-boiled in a bubbling broth of chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic and bean paste - a fiery, numbing experience that sends blood rushing to one's extremities. Meanwhile, a simpler potato-and-beef stew from northeastern China echoes Hungarian goulash. This dish is chunky, wholesome and perfect for sharing on a cold winter night. Black pepper beef, seared and clay-baked to sizzling perfection, is served at a Hong Kong cafe in Auckland. Photo: Ruth Kuo Few things say "winter" like gathering around a bubbling hot pot. A Chongqing/Sichuan-style beef tallow hot pot is a red inferno of beef tallow, chili, peppercorns and beef bone broth. Packed with lamb or beef, tofu, seafood and vegetables, the soup almost takes on a life of its own. Winter evenings in Hong Kong and China's Guangdong province typically feature a Cantonese hot pot , with a broth that includes adaptogenic herbs such as codonopsis root, Chinese yam and astragalus, or sweet combinations of sugar cane, water chestnuts and honey dates. The hot pot is filled with indulgent ingredients such as abalone, oysters, crab, handmade beef balls, minced shrimp, tender San Huang (Three Yellows) chicken or thinly sliced beef and lamb. The dipping sauces are just as diverse, reflecting the flavors of the southern coast - fish sauce, satay, soy sauce with sliced green chili rings all make an appearance. The traditional Beijing-style copper hot pot is believed to date back to Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan. The traditional setup of this dish calls for a charcoal fire and a copper pot, which heats quickly and evenly. Hand-cut paper-thin slices of lamb are then swished through a light broth, often flavored with ginger and scallions, allowing the meat's freshness to shine. The classic dipping sauce for this dish combines sesame paste with chive flower sauce, fermented bean curd and chili oil. Served alongside napa cabbage, tofu, glass noodles and ideally a bottle of Erguotou (a distilled northern Chinese alcoholic beverage), this age-old ritual remains a beloved way to fend off the bitterly cold northern wind. A hot pot offers diners countless options. Photo: AFP/Wang Quanchao For a softer approach to winter nourishment, Buddhist vegetarian cuisine offers comfort and balance. Luo han zhai is a classic temple dish made with 18 different plant-based ingredients. Traditionally, it features a harmonious mix of three mushroom varieties, six kinds of fungus and nine types of bamboo shoots - including shiitake, wood ear, silver ear, and winter and asparagus bamboo shoots. In home kitchens, other versions may include such ingredients as morels, lotus seeds, snow peas and cellophane noodles, delivering in a vibrant, refreshing, and well-balanced dish. Another vegetarian favourite is four happiness kao fu , a beloved Shanghainese Chinese New Year staple. The main ingredient - soft, spongy baked wheat gluten - soaks up the savoury-sweet braising liquid and is paired with ingredients such as enoki mushrooms, black fungus, winter bamboo shoots and peanuts. Meanwhile, kung pao king oyster mushrooms is a vegetarian dish that salutes the globally popular kung pao chicken. Diced king oyster mushrooms are stir-fried with dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns and peanuts. The result? A dish that is silky, chewy, crispy, spicy, tangy and a touch sweet - proof that authentic comfort food doesn't need to rely on meat. Classic Cantonese and local New Zealand dishes are served at a seafood restaurant in Rotorua. Photo: Ruth Kuo Few dishes capture the soul of winter street food like claypot rice with cured meats - a dish that is universally adored in communities stretching from Hong Kong and Macau to Southeast Asia. Cooked to order in a clay pot, the rice soaks up the rich, savoury oils of Cantonese sausage, bacon or dried duck. The rice at the bottom of the clay pot almost caramelises in a crunchy crust that has a smoky taste. Add a few stalks of blanched greens on the side and you have a soul-warming winter treat. Yunnan guoqiao mixian ("crossing the bridge" rice noodles) is a dish that features a fragrant, steaming broth that has been simmered for hours with old chicken and pork bones until clear and rich, with a golden layer of chicken fat deliberately added to lock in the heat. Thinly sliced meat, crisp vegetables and silky rice noodles are then immersed in the broth until cooked. The broth is kept above 70 degrees Celsius, allowing the soup and ingredients to blend together gently. Rice noodles are then added to accentuate the chicken's essence. Last, but not least, there are dumplings - a quintessential winter comfort food in northern China. Whether filled with chives and pork, onion and beef, napa cabbage and shrimp, or shiitake and chicken, they are dropped into bubbling water until tender and bursting with steam. Whether handmade and enjoyed with family around a kitchen table or bought from a roadside vendor in a swirl of steam, dumplings create a special kind of togetherness on a cold winter's day.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Inside Economics: Why the job market feels worse than the numbers look
I think, sadly, we can expect that tone to remain for the next few months at least. Next week we'll get the official unemployment rate, based on the Stats NZ Household Labour Force (HLFS) survey. This week's data was part of a monthly series that Stats NZ produces by tracking payroll filings with the IRD. It's timely data, but often prone to revision. That big one for economists arrives next Wednesday with Stats NZ's quarterly labour market data release. That will include employment and unemployment statistics from the HLFS as well as wage data from the Labour Cost Index and the Quarterly Employment Survey. After seeing the monthly employment data this week, economists at BNZ and ANZ are expecting unemployment will land at 5.3% – up from 5.1% for the March quarter – and higher than the Reserve Bank's earlier forecast of 5.2%. As expected... It's probably worth remembering that none of this is a surprise. These numbers have been widely forecast by economists. In April last year, as the job market was starting to get tough, I wrote: 'Economists expect that there will be somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000 more unemployed people by this time next year.' 'Expectations are that we'll eventually see the unemployment rate peak between 5.1 and 5.7 per cent in this cycle.' And here we are. Hopefully, unemployment peaks soon, although based on the gloomy second quarter we've just had, it might not be until the end of the year. It's likely that it will peak at around 5.5% which, believe it or not, is in line with the historic average. Stats NZ's long-running Household Labour Force Survey shows the average rate has been 5.5% since 1986. The data reached an all-time high of 11.2% in September 1991 and a record low of 3.2% in March 2022. If it's just average, then why does it feel so bad? One issue is that we are coming off that record low in 2022. So the transition we're experiencing is intense, even if the endpoint isn't going to be historically unprecedented. The level of unemployment is also being flattered by the large number of Kiwis leaving the country or opting out of the workforce to return to study. The participation rate – the number of adults actively engaged in the job market – has fallen to around 70%, the lowest rate since 2020. Another factor that may be skewing the average is the number of underemployed people. The HLFS is very specific in its definition of unemployment. It only counts people who have worked no hours at all. Those who worked part-time but would like to work more hours are classified as underemployed. It seems likely that higher levels of underemployment are also flattering the topline unemployment rate. So while the official unemployment rate tends to get all the headlines, these other variables are important to factor in. Different measures Economists can also look to data from big recruitment firms like Seek. The number of published job ads is a good barometer of the labour market. June figures were released by Seek this week. BNZ economists noted that the trend in job ads had 'resumed its downward slide, declining another 1.2% in June'. Then there are the Ministry of Social Development's benefit numbers. They aren't looking too flash either. There was a total of 216,000 people on a Jobseeker benefit in June, up from 196,000 a year earlier. Confusingly, the Jobseeker benefit category now includes those we would have once called sickness beneficiaries, as well as those we'd call unemployed. When we strip out those with health conditions or disabilities, the total was 120,000, up from 114,000 in June 2024 and 99,000 in June 2023. Despite all the intricacies and variables of the different measures, one thing we can say with confidence is that the labour market does not look to be in good shape, and the trend is still getting worse. But the labour market is considered a 'lagging indicator' for the economy. In other words, it's about the last thing to turn in an economic cycle. On the way down, employment usually holds up well as the economy slows. Firms are reluctant to let good workers go, knowing how hard it can be to find staff when things get busy again. On the flip side, unemployment often peaks well after the economy has begun its recovery, as firms remain cautious about expanding and hiring new workers until they are confident that the upturn will be sustained. That perhaps offers some consolation as gloomy employment numbers continue to roll in over the next few months. It's always darkest before the dawn and all that... Bright spots Monday's job numbers weren't all bad. For starters, the monthly numbers were positive (just) at 0.1%. But economists weren't hugely impressed by that, given, these monthly figures tend to be revised down. Revisions to previous months contributed to the worse-than-expected annual result. More promising were figures that showed that the primary sector is creating jobs. The sector had its largest month-on-month rise, at 0.9%, since 2023. As Informetrics economist Matthew Allman noted: 'emerging trends in filled jobs seem to match broader trends we have been seeing in the economic recovery, with better export earnings boosting the primary sector'. But the flow-on effects are yet to hit other areas of the economy, such as manufacturing and services industries, he said. That's creating a regional divide too, as southern regions benefit from the agricultural export boom. Southland, in particular, has experienced solid job growth in recent months. Here's hoping some of that positivity flows north. The biggest hit to employment in the past year has been in the construction sector. Compared to the previous year to June, construction lost 12,169 jobs (down 6%). It's not surprising Auckland's economy is struggling. Trump's tariff deadline looms Donald Trump's big tariff deadline is looming large this week and somewhat predictably threatens to rattle markets, which have been on something of a bull run in the past few weeks. It passes on Friday (Saturday NZT). President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting at Trump Turnberry golf club on July 27, 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland. U.S. President Donald Trump is visiting his Trump Turnberry golf course, as well as Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, during a brief visit to Scotland from July 25 to 29. Photo / Getty Images The US has now done deals with Japan, the UK, Europe, and it looks to have some kind of truce with China, so that should help ease concerns. There's also a likelihood of further deadline extensions if it looks like markets are seriously melting down. Donald Trump has shown over the past few months that he is prepared to push things to the brink but will do what he has to avoid a major crash – even if that leaves him looking like he has backed down. But the deadline remains a wildcard in a week of big economic news for the US. Economists estimate that the US will likely end up with a baseline average tariff of around 15-20%. Markets seem to have accepted that so far. But, while that is an improvement over the shock and awe of Trump's Liberation Day proclamations, it still represents a major setback to global trade. We're also still waiting to see what the real-world effects of the tariffs will be. So far, the impact on US inflation has been muted. On the one hand, that is promising. Perhaps the tariffs won't be as economically damaging as everyone expected. On the other hand, the delays and deals we're yet to see the full impact of the tariffs and the positive early signs might just embolden Trump to push a bit harder. We'll also get an interest rate decision from the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday in the US (Thursday NZT). It is not expected to cut rates, which means we can probably expect some fireworks as the President makes it clear what he thinks of that. The US also gets jobs data and GDP data this week. So all up it's looking like a big week for markets as they try to unpick the state of the United States. Liam Dann is business editor-at-large for the New Zealand Herald. He is a senior writer and columnist, and also presents and produces videos and podcasts. He joined the Herald in 2003. To sign up to my weekly newsletter, click on your user profile at and select 'My newsletters'. For a step-by-step guide, click here. If you have a burning question about the quirks or intricacies of economics send it to or leave a message in the comments section.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
One year, 27,850 jobs gone Stats NZ latest data shows
Photo: 123RF New data shows there were 27,850 fewer jobs in New Zealand in June compared to the year before, and young people are feeling the impact of the weak labour market . Stats NZ's latest data shows the number of filled jobs was up 0.1 percent month-on-month but down 1.2 percent year-on-year. Compared to the year before, construction had lost 12,169 jobs, or 6 percent, manufacturing 5850 jobs, or 2.5 percent, professional, scientific and technical services 5150 jobs, or 2.7 percent, and admin and support services 4860 jobs, or 4.7 percent. Education and training and primary industries added jobs. People aged 15 to 19 had 10 percent fewer jobs, those 20 to 24 had 3.5 percent fewer and those ages 25 to 29 had 3.9 percent fewer. Hugh Hawkins, 23, has been looking for a job since finishing an honours degree last year. "Now we're in late July and I've managed to find a tiny bit of casual work through connections of people I know. Otherwise I've been serially ghosted with absolutely no success." Hawkins had set a target of 10 applications a week. "A couple of jobs I was excited for, I felt genuinely directly qualified for, I've gone for and not reached the interview stage. The rejection email often comes with a total of applicants they've had and one I was qualified for had 630 people apply." It seemed a widespread problem, Hawkins said. "Chatting to my coworkers they're virtually all in the same situation. They have to rely on the benefit to pay rent with casual work on the side. People from different walks of life, most young and very qualified…I worked hospitality roles through uni and took volunteer roles and internships relevant to my degree to set myself up as well as possible… if I'm struggling it must mean terrible things for what other people are also going through." Infometrics economists noted that May's month-on-month increase in filled jobs had been revised down in the latest data to a decline. "June's narrow rise could also be revised to flat or negative growth in future releases." Auckland had a 1.9 percent year-on-year fall in filled jobs and Wellington was down 2.3 percent. Canterbury was up 0.1 percent. ASB senior economist Mark Smith said it had been noticeable in the last year or so that young people were being most affected. He said there were likely to be more job losses than the data indicated because some businesses would have added roles during the year. "This is normally a cyclical phenomenon. The hope is that some will go into training if it's available but it's not available for everyone. "The labour market tends to be the last thing to move." He said it was concerning that the revisions in the data in recent months had all been down. "The trend is still falling. It has dragged on… Covid was huge and there are hangovers from that." He said the unemployment rate was likely to move higher in the coming months. Some people who had lost work had dropped out of the labour market, which meant the participation rate fell. The unemployment rate only counts people looking for work. "If that participation rate did not keep falling we would have a much higher unemployment rate, it would be closer to six. "Really the primary sector and the South Island are the good news stories. There is weakness still in the goods sector and the major centres." BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said he still expected the "mid-year activity air pocket" would pass. "The underlying drivers of the recovery remain in place and should reassert themselves in coming quarters. "But the recent weakness does push back the likely timing of the eventual labour market recovery. We doubt the current undershoot of firms' labour requirements relative to worker availability will change appreciably this side of Christmas. Our forecast peak in unemployment has been shunted out to 5.4 percent in the final quarter of the year. Wage growth should thus continue to slow through to the middle of next year." Green Party spokesperson for social development and employment Ricardo Menendez-March called on the government to "take charge and create jobs that help us build a better future". He said the Green Job Guarantee in the party's alternative budget would create 40,000 jobs to rebuild infrastructure, restore nature and build state housing. "We know people out there need opportunities, instead they are being punished and pushed into poverty."
