Data from the 2023 General Social Survey (GSS) found that trust held by New Zealanders in institutions like the health system, education system, parliament, media, police, and courts has declined since 2021, according to wellbeing statistics released by Stats NZ today.
People in New Zealand remained satisfied with their lives as a whole in 2023, with an overall satisfaction rating of 7.6 out of 10, which is similar to the 7.7 rating in 2021.
“As a result of recent global events such as COVID-19, our society has faced a number of challenges. Institutional trust, trust in other people, sense of belonging, and a sense of safety are all important measures of people feeling part of society,” wellbeing and housing statistics manager Sarah Drake said.
Some key measures of trust and social wellbeing have declined since 2021. These areas included trust in institutions, trust in most people in New Zealand, sense of belonging to New Zealand, and a sense of safety.
People in New Zealand rated institutional trust on a 0 to 10 scale (where 0 is no trust and 10 is complete trust):
- Most reported having higher trust in police compared with other institutions, with a mean rating of 7.4 out of 10 in 2023, down from 7.7 in 2021.
- People had the least trust in the media, at 4.3, down from 4.7 in 2021.
- Trust in parliament decreased the most in 2023 compared with other institutions, down to 4.9 from 5.7 in 2021.
- Along with trust in institutions, people were asked to rate their trust in most people in New Zealand. This also decreased in 2023, down to 6.5 from 6.7 in 2021.
Sense of belonging to New Zealand declines
People reported a lower sense of belonging to New Zealand in 2023, at 8.2 out of 10, down from 8.6 in 2021. Sense of belonging varied by ethnicity, and most ethnicities showed a decline:
- Asian people reported a lower sense of belonging in 2023, at 7.8 (down from 8.3 in 2021), compared with the total population, at 8.2.
- Pacific peoples’ sense of belonging declined to 8.2, down from 8.6 in 2021. The results were similar for Europeans (declined to 8.2 from 8.6).
- Māori reported a stronger sense of belonging, at 8.5, compared with the total population, at 8.2. Sense of belonging for Māori remained similar to 2021.
Note: Ethnicity refers to the ethnic group or groups that people identify with or feel they belong to, which means people can belong to more than one ethnicity.
Sense of safety declines
People felt less safe waiting for public transport at night and walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark in 2023, compared with 2021:
- Only 2 in 5 people (42 percent) felt that it was safe or very safe to use or wait for public transport at night (down from 49 percent in 2021).
- 55 percent of people felt that it was safe or very safe to walk alone in their neighbourhood after dark (down from 59 percent in 2021).
Worry about crime increases
People rated worrying about crime as having a greater effect on their quality of life in 2023 than in 2021. The mean rating was 3.7 out of 10, up from 3.3 in 2021 (where 0 was no effect and 10 was a large effect).
The regions showing the most significant changes in fear and worry were:
- Auckland, at 4.5 (up from 3.8 in 2021)
- Bay of Plenty, at 3.7 (up from 2.9 in 2021)
- Manawatū-Whanganui, at 3.3 (up from 2.7 in 2021).
Wellbeing statistics: 2023 presents data from the 2023 General Social Survey (GSS). The data collection began on 15 May 2023 and finished on 21 April 2024.
Future wellbeing statistics
The General Social Survey (GSS) will not be conducted in 2025/2026, while Stats NZ explores options for collecting wellbeing data in the future.
The way people use data is changing, and data-collection models need to be updated for Stats NZ to continue delivering value to New Zealand.
Stats NZ remains committed to producing quality wellbeing statistics and aims to collect data in 2026/2027, either through the GSS or another form.
This delay isn’t expected to have a big impact on data, as wellbeing statistics don’t change significantly in the short term.
There should be ZERO trust in any corporate state institution.
+1
I’ll wager the actual figures across NZ are a lot lower than this. Of course, a lot of the sensible people have already left.
True. I reckon people with genuinely zero trust in these institutions would not be willing (or approached) for their opinions in these surveys to begin with.
I’m surprised that people’s trust in institutions is so high.
Yup. Weirdly high. It’s sad.
I guess most people are simply indoctrinated feeble-minded morons sadly.