Australians happier, less divided than New Zealanders – Helen Clark Foundation report

It proved crucial five years ago this month, when five million Kiwis went into Covid lockdown: something epidemiologists say helped save thousands of lives during the pandemic’s crisis period.

But the new findings, based on survey data collected by Talbot Mills Research, paint a worrying picture.

Its co-author, economist and commentator Shamubeel Eaqub, said social cohesion could perhaps be best understood by looking at its opposite: polarisation.

“When we are so far apart, we find it more difficult to do things together, like dealing with big problems or making strategic choices.”

He pointed to the rise of Donald Trump and far-right governments worldwide – “really, the vandalism of the Western economic model for the last 80 years” – as symptoms of growing polarisation and eroding social cohesion.

Even so, he said some of the insights in the new 43-page report alarmed him.

He discussed five big takeaways with the Herald.

New Zealand lags behind Australia in social cohesion

When New Zealand’s results were directly compared with recent data from Australia’s Scanlon Foundation Research Institute, Aotearoa scored lower on virtually every measure.

It was a result Eaqub admits he wasn’t expecting.

“I went into this project thinking we’d be at least as good as, or a little better than, Australia,” Eaqub said.

“We’ve been through the financial crash, earthquakes, the mosque terror attacks, and cyclones – and we’ve come through them pretty well, right?

“But the data suggests that’s actually not true, and I was disappointed.”

Just 47% of Kiwis agreed with positive statements about social cohesion, compared with 55% of Australians.

These statements included “people in my local area are willing to help their neighbours” and “New Zealand is a land of economic opportunity where, in the long run, hard work brings a better life”.

The largest disparities were seen in political preference, work participation, income, and ethnicity.

While a strong sense of national belonging remained – more than 80% of Kiwis reported feeling this – the results suggested we feel less safe and less connected to our local communities than our Aussie counterparts.

Half of respondents reported feeling isolated. While 90% felt safe at home during the day, only 57% felt safe walking alone at night.

Kiwis have a poorer sense of worth than Australians

Perhaps less surprising was a finding that just a third of Kiwis are satisfied with their financial lot, compared with 60% of Australians.

Just a quarter of younger Kiwis were happy with their financial situation.

“With the exception of older people, who have access to universal superannuation, [financial dissatisfaction] was something that pretty much everyone was reporting,” Eaqub said.

“I suspect this is partly just to do with the current economic climate, which is really tough – and much tougher than it is in Australia.”

Eaqub was especially disappointed to see that a quarter of Kiwis reported sometimes or often going without meals, compared with 13% in Australia.

“I couldn’t believe that ... it’s shameful.”

Kiwis also appeared less happy than Australians – a difference of 55% versus 78% – with 16% reporting they felt unhappy or very unhappy.

Just half of respondents said their lives felt worthwhile all or most of the time, though three-quarters still felt respected to a great or moderate extent.

Trust in government is relatively low

Trust in government – another key factor that supported New Zealand’s Covid-19 response – was shown to be relatively weak.

Only 42% of respondents believed the Government acted in people’s best interests most or all of the time. Views on the fairness of court decisions were similarly divided.

A significant portion of respondents, particularly Māori and Pasifika, expressed a desire for systemic change, with some advocating for a complete overhaul of the government system.

While overall support for democracy remained strong, younger respondents were more open to alternative governance models – such as leadership by experts.

Eaqub also noted evidence of political polarisation – something seen most starkly in the United States.

“We have seen some big variations, but just how much people are divided on key issues really seems to be drawn along ideological lines.”

Public participation is declining

While eight in 10 respondents said they vote in general elections, only about two-thirds voted in local elections. Participation in other civic activities, such as protests or boycotts, was even lower.

Younger respondents and minority groups – particularly Māori and Pasifika – were more likely to engage in activism and online political discourse, yet less likely to vote.

Community involvement was also limited. Just a third of respondents participated in social or religious groups, and even fewer engaged in civic or political organisations.

“These are important spaces where people connect, bringing together a wide range of individuals to share experiences,” Eaqub said.

“When we look at people who belong to clubs or religious organisations, they’re much more likely to be happy, to vote, and much less likely to feel lonely.”

Australians have more positive attitudes toward migrants

While many Kiwis value cultural diversity and inclusion, attitudes toward immigration and government support for minorities were more divided.

A strong majority (70%) of respondents agreed that the relationship between Māori and the wider community is crucial to the country’s future.

Similarly, 62% supported including indigenous histories and cultures in school curriculums, reflecting broad recognition of their importance.

More than half (56%) believed accepting immigrants from diverse countries strengthened New Zealand. However, only 37% agreed that the Government should help ethnic minorities maintain their customs and traditions.

Views on immigration levels were split: 44% thought they were about right, while 35% felt they were too high.

Although most Kiwis recognised the economic and social contributions of immigrants, attitudes varied by country of origin.

Migrants from Australia, Britain, and Japan were viewed most favourably, while those from China and the United Arab Emirates received lower ratings.

Concerns about cultural assimilation and job competition persisted, with 30% agreeing that immigrants take jobs from locals.

Eaqub noted that immigration has driven much of New Zealand’s population growth in recent decades, particularly in cities like Auckland.

The data also challenged the assumption that Kiwis broadly see immigration as a net economic positive.

“When I look at the statistics, I see that just over half of New Zealanders think immigrants are good for the economy – but in Australia, that rate is over 80%,” he said.

“Similarly, in New Zealand, two-thirds say multiculturalism is good for the country, but in Australia, it’s over 85% – so the differences are stark.”

In all, Eaqub saw the report as a “wake-up call” to Kiwis about growing polarisation.

“It means we shouldn’t be complacent that what we are seeing around the world can’t happen here,” he said.

“They might not be the same, but similar fractures have been opening up in New Zealand.”

He noted that those respondents most willing to discuss experiences of discrimination were Pākehā who had notions of “reverse racism”.

“And here, there are real parallels with experiences in America and Europe right now, which we should be paying very close attention to,” Eaqub said.

“Can we get ahead of it? Are there conversations that we can have or things that we can do earlier? I don’t know the answer to that.

“But knowing that we’re not nearly as cohesive as Australia - and the negative outcomes this can have for our democracy, governance, and communities means we can start to think about how we protect ourselves.”

Jamie Morton is a specialist in science and environmental reporting. He joined the Herald in 2011 and writes about everything from conservation and climate change to natural hazards and new technology.

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