Rural NZ households less likely to face food insecurity

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-05-14 03:00

New Zealand

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Households in rural areas are less likely to experience food insecurity than those in urban areas, according to a New Zealand study. Using data from the New Zealand Health Survey, researchers found while younger people in rural communities reported higher levels of food insecurity than older adults, rural households generally experienced less food-related hardship overall. The study also found Māori households continue to face disproportionately higher rates of food insecurity, with the findings highlighting the need for policies addressing food resource insufficiency and structural racism.

News release

From: Dr Mona Jeffreys (author of this research)

"Our analysis shows that while rural living in Aotearoa offers some protection against food insecurity, deep inequities persist, especially for Māori.

"Rural households reported lower prevalence of key indicators such as food shortages and reduced consumption, yet Māori remained two to four times more likely than non‑Māori to experience food insecurity. Younger adults (age 14 to 24) benefited from the protective effect of rural living, whereas mid‑life rural adults (25–44 years) were identified as a particularly vulnerable group.

"Our results highlight ethnicity as an important marker of food insecurity and support views expressed by public health experts calling for policies and initiatives to address food resource insufficiency that results from structural racism."

Journal/
conference: Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Victoria University of Wellington

Funder: This work was supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand 24/996.

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