Treasury Te Tai Waiora Wellbeing Report reflects same youth wellbeing focus as Te Hiringa Mahara

Te Hiringa Mahara Director of Wellbeing System Leadership and Insights Dr. Filipo Katavake-McGrath acknowledges today’s release of the Treasury’s inaugural Te Tai Waiora: Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand 2022 report. The report follows a decade of Treasury policy analysis of wellbeing using its Living Standards Framework and its He Ara Waiora wellbeing framework.

“As the agency responsible for advising Minsters about the impact of government spending, The Treasury and its Te Tai Waiora report provides us a vital link in understanding the role of policy decisions and their effects on wellbeing and mental distress.

“Our 2021 Te Rau Tira Wellbeing Outcomes Report found that many people experienced positive wellbeing outcomes in home, schooling and community environments. However, it also reported that 23% of tamariki Māori lived in households with good material wellbeing, 32% of 15-year-olds did not feel like they belonged in school and 17% of people reported experiencing discrimination in the last year.

“The latest report from the Treasury also points out that the total growth in mental distress across all people in Aotearoa has been borne mainly by young people. Between 2011 and 2021 the proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds reporting high levels of psychological distress grew from 5% to 19%. The report also found that our school bullying rates are the highest in the OECD.

“This year, communities of young people have told us they are most concerned about bleak futures; social media and safety online; racism and discrimination; and intergenerational connection and whānau support. In the coming months we will be publishing the findings of these consultations as well as working with these communities to influence those government agencies who control resourcing, funding, and policy that can change those domains of life and wellbeing.

“We welcome the weight of the Treasury joining the holistic approach to understanding and discussing wellbeing and look forward to working together in the future”.