Wellbeing statistics give a picture of social wellbeing in the New Zealand population. They’re based on people’s assessments of their own lives, such as how satisfied they are, and objective information, such as their labour force status.
Wellbeing statistics: 2023 presents data from the 2023 General Social Survey (GSS).
has high-level information about the GSS collection.
Key facts
Life satisfaction remains high
People in Aotearoa New Zealand aged 15 years and over reported an average overall life satisfaction score of 7.6 out of 10 (where 0 is low and 10 is high), which is similar to the mean rating of 7.7 out of 10 in 2021.
In 2023, some groups rated their overall life satisfaction significantly lower, on average, than the total population. These included:
- families composed of one parent with child(ren) (7.0 out of 10)
- disabled people (based on the Washington Group Short Set – Enhanced questions), aged 15 to 64 years (6.3)
- people with a household income of $30,000 or less (7.2)
- LGBT+ people (6.9).
People reported the things they do in life are worthwhile, with a mean rating of 7.9 out of 10, which is similar to 8.0 in 2021.
Of those employed, 74 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with their job, and 69 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with their work/life balance.
In 2023, 84 percent of people expected to rate their life satisfaction as 7 or higher out of 10 in five years’ time, down from 87 percent in 2021.
People generally rate their family wellbeing highly
When asked to rate their family wellbeing, the mean score given by people living in Aotearoa New Zealand was 7.6 out of 10, compared with 7.7 in 2021.
In 2023, the percentages of those rating their family wellbeing highly (at 7 or higher out of 10) differed by migrant status, including:
- 87 percent of recent migrants (people who arrived in New Zealand in the last five years)
- 81 percent of long-term migrants
- 76 percent of people born in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Almost 2 in 5 people find it hard to meet everyday costs
In 2023, 39 percent of people reported they had only just enough, or not enough, money to meet everyday needs, similar to 37 percent in 2018.
For families composed of one parent with child(ren), this rate was 59 percent in 2023, which was similar to 61 percent in 2018.
Almost half (48 percent) of people reported they had gone without or cut back on fresh fruit or vegetables in 2023, up from 23 percent in 2018. For families composed of one parent with child(ren), this rate was 61 percent in 2023, up from 40 percent in 2018.
| Measure taken | 2018 |
| Cut back on fresh fruit or vegetables | 23.3 |
| Put off going to the doctor | 25 |
| “Avoided visiting local places | 46 |
| including shops” | 59.7 |
| Spent less on hobbies or other special interests | 28.1 |
| Put up with being cold | 36.5 |
| Delayed replacing or repairing broken or damaged appliances |
| 22.1 | 24.5 |
|---|---|
| 23.8 | 26.2 |
| 44.6 | 47.4 |
| 58.1 | 61.3 |
| 26.6 | 29.6 |
| 35.2 | 37.8 |
| Measure taken | 2023 |
| Cut back on fresh fruit or vegetables | 47.7 |
| Put off going to the doctor | 28 |
| “Avoided visiting local places | 56.9 |
| including shops” | 58.5 |
| Spent less on hobbies or other special interests | 28.1 |
| Put up with being cold | 34.4 |
| Delayed replacing or repairing broken or damaged appliances |
| 46.4 | 49 |
|---|---|
| 26.7 | 29.3 |
| 55.6 | 58.2 |
| 57.1 | 59.9 |
| 26.8 | 29.4 |
| 33.1 | 35.7 |
Definitions and metadata
provides the definitions of terms used in this release and general methodology used to produce the wellbeing statistics.
provides information specific to 2023 General Social Survey.
Technical enquiries
Rhys Morgan
ISSN 2537-866X
