Lindsay Mitchell: The Future of Welfare in an Ethnically Changing Population

Asians will make-up a third of New Zealand's population by 2048.

For those worried about one in eight working-age New Zealanders currently relying on a benefit, this is good news.

That's because Asians are heavily under-represented amongst beneficiaries.

Lindsay Mitchell: Likelihood of getting off a benefit decreasing

The longer people are on a benefit, the harder it is to get off it.

The following graph illustrates that. Someone who has been benefit-dependent for 1-6 months has a much higher likelihood of leaving for employment than someone with a duration of a year or more. Although the graph was released this month (September 2022) it only contains data to June 2020 unfortunately: