More New Zealanders on super than self-employed
9 September 2014
More people are now receiving New Zealand superannuation or the veterans pension than are earning income from
self-employment or business, according to census results released by Statistics New Zealand today.
“Almost 17 percent of adults say they’ve received New Zealand super or a veterans pension. This reflects our ageing
population, with 100,000 more people aged 65 and over than at the last census in 2006,” Census Manager Gareth Meech
said.
“Meanwhile, just over 15 percent reported receiving income from self-employment or business.”
2013 Census QuickStats about income gives regional and demographic breakdowns, and can be used alongside official income statistics such as the Household
Economic Survey (Income) to provide a detailed picture of household and personal income in New Zealand.
“It’s interesting to see that almost one in three adults in Thames-Coromandel receive some income from super or the
veterans pension. In Queenstown-Lakes, on the other hand, just over one in ten do.
“Among those aged 65 years and over, 40 percent recorded having some income from interest, dividends, rent, and other
investments. Less than 4 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds received income from this source.
“Wages and salary is still the most common source of income,” Mr Meech added. Almost 58 percent of adults receive income
from this source. The second most common source is interest and investments, from which 21 percent of adults receive
some income.
Other information you can find in 2013 Census QuickStats about income includes:
• the median family income in the 2013 Census was $72,700 – up from $59,000 in 2006
• people with a doctorate receive a median income from all sources of $83,600 – which is three times the total
median personal income.
Authorised by Liz MacPherson, Government Statistician, 9 September 2014
For more information about these statistics:
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