New Zealand has long prioritized age-friendly policies, creating a strategy in the early 2000s to promote the health, well-being, and participation of older adults in society. In 2019, the government launched the Better Later Life Strategy, which focused on areas such as employment, housing, health, and social connections, and emphasized the importance of addressing disparities faced by older adults from diverse backgrounds.
New Zealand has also been involved in the World Health Organization’s Age-friendly Communities initiative, a global program that aims to promote healthy and active aging by creating more inclusive and accessible communities for people of all ages. Many communities in New Zealand have earned Age-Friendly designations and have developed plans and programs to address the needs of a growing older demographic.
Although the country prioritizes the importance of healthy aging, rising income inequality, which in turn exacerbates a range of social and health inequities, adversely affects vulnerable populations, such as older people. This is especially the case for the largest minority group, the indigenous Māori, who comprise 15 percent of the population. The aging experience in New Zealand differs drastically along ethnic lines. Māori life expectancies are seven years shorter than those of non-Māori, and statistics show that Māori experience the lowest health outcomes of all New Zealanders.2 These disparities were even more apparent during the pandemic, with Māori and Pacific Islander communities disproportionately affected by the virus in terms of infection rates and severity of illness.
In recent years, the government has implemented a range of initiatives and programs to address these issues — most recently, the launch of the Māori Health Authority in July 2022. These initiatives focus on improving access to health services, addressing the underlying social and cultural determinants of health, and empowering communities to take control of their own health and well-being.
Overall, New Zealand’s approach to an aging population is a combination of innovative solutions and ongoing challenges. While the country has made significant progress in improving healthcare outcomes and promoting social engagement among older adults, there is still much work to be done to ensure that all older adults have access to the support they need to age with dignity and independence.
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1 https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/one-million-people-aged-65-by-2028/
2 https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/60/5/812/5828144