Social Capital

The figure shows that in 2022, a statistically significantly higher proportion of Selwyn District respondents (73.9%) indicated they found it easy or very easy to be themselves in New Zealand, when compared to Christchurch City respondents (66.4%). However, the proportions of respondents who indicated they found it easy or very easy to be themselves in New Zealand are otherwise generally similar across the three Territorial Authorities, for the time series shown.

The figure shows that in 2018, 2019, and 2022, European respondents were statistically significantly more likely than Māori respondents to report that it was very easy or easy to be themselves in New Zealand (71.2% and 62.2% in 2022, respectively). The figure also shows that Pacific/Asian/Indian respondents were statistically significantly less likely to report that it was very easy or easy to be themselves in New Zealand, compared with European and Māori respondents, at all points across the time series shown (43.1% in 2022).

The figure shows that from 2018 to 2022, younger people were generally less likely than older people to report that it was very easy or easy to be themselves in New Zealand (18–24 years, 58.3%; 25–34 years, 60.6%; 35–49 years, 64.4%; 50–64 years, 71.2%; 65–74 years, 80.1%; and 75+ years 81.8% in 2022). The difference shown between young people’s (18–24 years) ease of being themselves, and those in the three oldest age groups (50–64 years, 65–74 years and 75+ years), is statistically significant in 2022.

The figure shows that males and females expressed a similar level of ease with being themselves in New Zealand from 2018 to 2022 (68.1% of females reported it was very easy or easy to be themselves, compared with 68.9% of males in 2022).

The figure shows that respondents with higher household incomes were generally more likely than respondents with lower household incomes to feel it was very easy or easy to be themselves in New Zealand, over the time series shown (in 2022, 71.2% of those with annual household incomes over $100,000; 68.5% with incomes $60,001–$100,000; and 69.9% with incomes $30,000–$60,000; compared with 59.7% for those with incomes under $30,000). The proportion for the highest income group is statistically significantly higher than for all other groups in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

The figure shows that respondents with a long-term health condition or disability, and aged under 65 years, were statistically significantly less likely to indicate that it is very easy or easy for them to be themselves in New Zealand, compared with those respondents without a long-term health condition or disability and those respondents with a long-term health condition or disability, aged 65 years and over, over the time series shown (in 2022, 59.5%; 69.2%;  and 74.3%, respectively).