Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: New Zealand

Summary of key data and information

	Summary of key data and information
Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1)	New Zealand has a definition for homelessness, without shelter, temporary accommodation, sharing accommodation and uninhabitable housing. Homelessness is defined as a living situation where people with no other options to acquire safe and secure housing are: without shelter, in temporary accommodation, sharing accommodation with a household, or living in uninhabitable housing.
Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3)	112 496 individuals, representing 2.3% of the total population (2023)
	51% are women, 48% are men
	Point-in-time count, derived from the Census of Population and Dwellings
	ETHOS Light groups included	Included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Not included: ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions
	Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4)	There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in New Zealand.
Homelessness Strategy (Table 5)	There is no national homelessness strategy in New Zealand. Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategy addressing homelessness: Government-Policy-Statement-on-Housing-and-Urban-Development-for-2025.pdf
Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6)	Census of population and dwellings: Census which includes a targeted strategy to include people experiencing homelessness (Table 6.1)

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness

	Statistical definition
Homelessness	Homelessness is defined as a living situation where people with no other options to acquire safe and secure housing are: without shelter, in temporary accommodation, sharing accommodation with a household, or living in uninhabitable housing.
Without shelter	Living situations that provide no shelter, or makeshift shelter, are considered as “without shelter.” These include situations such as living on the street, and inhabiting improvised dwellings (e.g. living in a shack or a car).
Temporary accommodation	Living situations are considered “temporary accommodation” when they provide shelter overnight, or when 24‑hour accommodation is provided in a non-private dwelling that is not intended to be lived in long-term. This includes hostels for the homeless, transitional supported accommodation for the homeless, and women’s refuges. Also included are people staying long-term in motor camps and boarding houses, as these are not intended for long-term accommodation
Sharing accommodation	Living situations that provide temporary accommodation for people through sharing someone else’s private dwelling are considered “sharing accommodation.” The usual residents of the dwelling are not considered homeless.
Uninhabitable housing	Living situations where people reside in a dilapidated dwelling are considered “uninhabitable housing.”

Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology

Year	Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals)(1)	% of total population	ETHOS Light 1 People living rough	ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation(2)	ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless	ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions	ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings	ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends
2018	99 462	2.1%	207	90	6 339	Not included	4 938	27 426
2023	112 496	2.3%	333	72	11 123	Not included	7 233	24 768
Metadata: Type of count: Point-in-time Data are comparable across years: No Included in headline estimate: Children: Yes Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: Yes Refugees: Yes Victims/survivors of domestic violence: Yes

Note: 1. The 2023 headline estimate includes 68 967 people living in unhabitable housing (60 462 for the 2018 headline estimate). 2. For the purposes of the ETHOS Light typology emergency accommodation refers to night shelters.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Statistics New Zealand (2024), Census of Population and Dwellings.

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2023

	Single adults	Men	Women	Youth (aged 15‑29)	Older people (aged 65 and over)	Families with children (# of households)
Headline estimate of homelessness	NA	53 793	57 576	27 351	13 764	NA
As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness	NA	48.0%	51.4%	24.4%	12.3%	NA
ETHOS Light 1: People living rough	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation(1)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends	NA	11 970	12 678	9 240	1 449	NA
Metadata: Type of count: Point-in-time Included in headline estimate: Children: Yes Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: Yes Refugees: Yes Victims/survivors of domestic violence: Yes

Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive. In 2023 it was estimated 627 people of another gender were homeless. Figures in this table exclude Women’s refuge data, as well as estimates for children living in non-private dwellings. 1. For the purposes of the ETHOS Light typology emergency accommodation refers to night shelters.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021), Census of Population and Housing.

Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness

	Legal framework
Law that governs data collection on homelessness	Data and Statistics Act 2022
Legal obligations	Although there are no specific legal obligations relating to the collection of data on people experiencing homelessness, the census must take place every five years. Moreover, Māori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) must be engaged prior to determining the data to be collected in the census.

Table 5. Homelessness strategy

	Homelessness strategies in place
National Homelessness Strategy	There is no national homelessness strategy in New Zealand. Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategy addressing homelessness: Government-Policy-Statement-on-Housing-and-Urban-Development-for-2025.pdf
Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist	No.

Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness

6.1. Census of Population and Dwellings
Description All people in New Zealand must fill out the Census questionnaire. Census field collectors also enumerate people experiencing homelessness at shelters and other easily identifiable locations. The census includes a number of questions on the housing situation of respondents. In 2023 “assist and deliver” approaches provided face‑to-face contact, assistance, dedicated communications, and community driven activities. Non-private dwelling and transient populations approaches included a core pool of dedicated staff for standard, large, and complex non private dwellings. On and around census day, collection activities were largely focussed on transient populations and supporting census-form completions at community events. Transient populations include people experiencing homelessness, and people living in places like marinas and mobile dwellings, or who are freedom camping. Because people may not remain in the same location for long, field staff made one visit, with no follow-up, and in a shorter timeframe than other collection activities.
Type of count generated Point-in-time	Methods Population census Street count Service‑based method
Lead authority(ies) Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)	Source(s) of information General population respond to the questionnaire directly National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges provided information on the number of people using their services on Census night
Scope National level	Depth of data Key demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, disability indicator, rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator.)
Frequency Every five years
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources 2023 Census severe housing deprivation (homelessness) estimates | Stats NZ Methodology

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housing-database.html.

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