Submissions

To: Statistics New Zealand 
Date: December 2025 

Purpose

The purpose of this submission was to convey DPA’s views on Statistics New Zealand’s plans to move the regular Census of Population and Dwellings to being run on an administration first system, rather than as a digital/paper-based survey every five years. We tentatively welcome the move to an administration first system of collating census data but made several recommendations around the need to address identified shortcomings in the new system. 

Summary of DPA submission

DPA supported, in principle, the transition to an administration first based Census system. 

The admin first system will collate data from a wide range of sources including anonymised data from government agencies, targeted collections from specific communities including disabled people, Māori, Pacific, ethnic and LGBTQIA+ and sampling of the wider population. 

However, DPA acknowledged Statistics NZ’s highlighting of various shortcomings with the system including that there would be less detail for some areas and communities; some important topics (for example, housing conditions) were not covered by admin data; that some groups are under-represented in admin data; and the existence of differences across admin data sources. 

DPA made a series of recommendations to fix these issues, with the principal two being: 

• That the draft tailored disability data framework is fully consulted upon by Statistics NZ in targeted consultation with the disability community prior to introduction. 

• That the tailored approach is reviewed by Stats NZ in partnership with the disability community every five years following each round of disability data collection. 

Supporting Statements:  

“Ultimately, while recognising that change to the way this country conducts censuses was inevitable, DPA hopes that the new admin first system will not be solely used by government and/or Stats NZ as a purely fiscal exercise or as a reason for not collating data which absolutely needs to be gathered.” 

“DPA wants to see the emergence of a system which collects high quality data in a timely, professional, diligent and ethical manner. “ 

“Future census data should aim to deliver better, more detailed, and relevant data on all facets of life, including for disabled people.”