Many children in New Zealand still live in damp or mouldy homes

We have updated our surveillance on damp and mouldy dwellings using 2023 census data from Stats NZ. Here are the hey facts:

People living in damp dwellings:

• In 2023, 20.6% of New Zealanders (859,137 people) lived in damp dwellings, a decrease from
  24.1% in 2018.
• Severely damp dwellings affected 2.8% (117,045 people) of the population in 2023.
• Over a quarter of children (0–14 years) (26.0%) and young adults (15–29 years) (26.2%) lived in
  damp dwellings.
• In 2023, the rate of people living in damp dwellings was higher among Pacific peoples (39.0%)
  and Māori (35.1%).
• In 2023, Tairāwhiti health district had the highest percentage of its population living in damp
  houses (35.8%), followed by Northland district (28.8%).

People living in mouldy dwellings:

• In 2023, 16.5% of New Zealanders (693,894 people) lived in houses with a presence of mould
  (always or sometimes) larger than an A4 sheet of paper, a decrease from 19.6% in 2018.
• Over one in five of children (0–14 years) (21.1%) and young adults (15–29 years) (21.0%) lived in
  houses affected by mould larger than a sheet of A4-paper, whether always or sometimes present.
• In 2023, the rate of people living in mouldy houses was higher among Pacific peoples (35.5%)
  and Māori (28.3%).
• The Tairāwhiti health district had the highest percentage of its population living in mouldy houses
  in 2023, at 28.5%.

You can read the full reports here.