Timeframe
2025-2028
Funding
Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment
COMPASS staff
Barry Milne
Natalia Boven
Collaborators
iNZight Analytics
Andrew Sporle
Nicole Satherley
Description
Upward social mobility between one generation and the next benefits not only the families but also the country as a whole. Increasing levels of education, skills and income contribute to a more prosperous economy and a wealthier society. Being able to identify the things that support increased education, skills and income is the first step towards investing in actions that will increase the country’s wealth within a single lifetime.
This research uses StatsNZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) to look at patterns in social mobility in New Zealand and the factors associated with upwards or downwards mobility. We will examine mobility in common markers of socioeconomic position, including income, education, and occupation, among children relative to their parents. This will be examined nationally as well as within specific populations, such as Māori and rural communities. The results of this work will help guide investments in policies and programmes that create pathways to better economic circumstances for New Zealanders and a more prosperous economy.