Relevance
An important reflection of social connectedness is found in the extent to which people are in regular contact with family and friends, and the extent to which they participate in family (Whānau) activities.
Current Level
A high proportion of the population say they take part in family/Whānau activities (86.8 percent) and more than two-thirds (70.5 percent) report having had family or friends over for a meal at least once a month.
Table SC2.1 Proportion of population doing family activities and having family/friends over for a meal, by population characteristics
| Participate in family activities % | Have family/friends over for a meal % | |
|---|---|---|
| Population estimates | ||
| Total population |
86.8 |
70.5 |
| Age groupings | ||
| Adults aged under 65 |
86.5 |
72.0 |
| Adults aged 65 and over |
80.4 |
60.5 |
| Family ethnicity | ||
| Māori economic family |
90.9 |
68.9 |
| Pacific economic family |
86.1 |
79.6 |
| European economic family |
87.6 |
70.0 |
| Other economic family |
71.8 |
70.3 |
| Families with dependent children | ||
| One parent with dependent children |
87.4 |
65.4 |
| Two parents with dependent children |
90.0 |
72.6 |
| All families with dependent children |
89.6 |
71.4 |
| Family employment/income status | ||
| People under 65, main income earner in full-time employment |
89.0 |
73.4 |
| People under 65, main income earner not in full-time employment |
83.4 |
66.9 |
| Adults 65 and over, with employment or other income (above New Zealand Superannuation) |
85.5 |
69.3 |
| Adults 65 and over, with little or no other income (above New Zealand Superannuation) |
75.4 |
51.8 |
Source: Ministry of Social Development (2003b)
Ethnic Differences
According to the surveys, people living in Māori economic families are the most likely to take part in family or Whānau activities (91 percent), while Pacific and European people have average levels of participation (86 and 88 percent, respectively). Those living in Other economic families are much less likely than average to take part in such activities (72 percent), perhaps reflecting the fact this group may include many new migrants whose families live overseas. Sharing meals in the home is more common among Pacific peoples (80 percent) than among people of other ethnic groups (70 percent).
Age Group And Employment Or Income Differences
Adults over 65 years are less likely to engage in family activities (80 percent) and considerably less likely to have people over for a meal (61 percent), particularly those with no income other than New Zealand Superannuation (52 percent).
Among adults under 65, participation in family activities and sharing meals is somewhat lower than average where the main earner in the family is not in full-time employment (83 percent and 67 percent).
Differences By Family Type
Not surprisingly, families with dependent children are more likely than average to participate in family or Whānau activities, and there is little difference between sole-parent and two-parent families on this measure of social connectedness. However, sole-parent families are less likely than two-parent families to have friends or family over for a meal (65 percent compared to 73 percent).
