Pasifika communities hit hardest by food insecurity in New Zealand - Hunger Monitor

Nearly three-quarters of the Pasifika population experienced food insecurity in Aotearoa last year, according to the inaugaural "Hunger Monitor" by the New Zealand Food Network (NZFN).

This compares to 68 percent of the general population, according to the 2025 Hunger Monitor, which is New Zealand's first comprephensive tally of food security and will serve as a benchmark for annual updates.

Meanwhile, 55 percent of the Pasifika population reported receiving food support from outside of their households, compared to 44 percent of the general population.

Delphina Soti, who manages the St Vinnies main centre in Onehunga, told RNZ Pacific they have seen a surge in demand, mostly from Pasifika families, that has beome unsustainable for them.

"I don't think we really have time to think about whether we're coping or not," she said.

"There's a lot we want to say, but also we are so careful, because we need some of those (government) grants to come through."

It comes at a time when Pasifika are at the bottom of disposable income levels, and at the top of child poverty levels, according to government figures from early March.

Nearly a fifth of Pasifika children in Aotearoa lived in poverty in the last year, while nearly a third remained in material hardship, a marked increase over the last six years.

The Pasifika unemployment rate rose to 12.3 percent in February, a record high, having doubled in the past two years.

Reflecting on a turbulent year, Soti said the number of Pasifika families her centre works with has risen to more than 3000, stemming from around 25,000 referrals for food support in the last financial year.

"There's a whole bundle of pressures that are landing on these families ... food is becoming a discretionary item," Soti said.

"Their rents are too high, they're struggling with the work, some of them are holding down two or three jobs."

For Pasifika, who mostly live in South Auckland communities, making the trip to Onehunga is often out of their reach financially.

"We're pushing the bulk food out to our centers that are closer to these families, even to churches and schools... because there's no petrol [for them] to come and pick up the parcels," Soti said.

"They need to see the financial mentors to draw down on their Kiwisavers.. there's the cars being repossessed, or there's risk around their houses being sold to the bank ... it's no simple budget."

RNZ reported last week that one in three households have struggled to access affordable, nutritious food in the past year, according to the Hunger Report.

The NZFN said many were hesitant to access food support, citing shame or embarrassment as the reason.