People in New Zealand who feel their home is sometimes or always damp
2018 & 2023 Census, % of homes where information available
The following information applies to all values in the table.
Subject population: Occupied private dwellings, Measure: Dwelling dampness indicator, Unit: Percentage of total stated
Use this data with caution. This data was rated moderate quality by Stats NZ. Read the warnings and response rate metadata below before using.
Stats NZ gives data an overall rating based on sources and coverage, consistency, and data quality.
Why am I seeing this?
This data is from the Census. The past two censuses had relatively low response rates, particularly for some areas of New Zealand and groups of people.
Where information was missing or unreadable, Stats NZ attempted to use data from a range of places such as previous censuses or administrative data that is collected by other government agencies. If that isn't available, Stats NZ use statistical models to predict what the missing data would have been. This is called imputation.
Things to be aware of
The proportion of ‘Not stated’ has increased since the 2018 Census, particularly in areas impacted by severe weather events in 2023, such as Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, and Northland. This may result in the counts and proportion of dwellings with housing quality issues being under-represented in the data.
The high proportion of missing information means the data may not provide an accurate picture of housing quality for all groups of interest, particularly Māori and Pacific peoples households.
The timing of data collection can affect how people respond to questions on dampness and mould.
DWELLING TYPE
A dwelling is any building or structure - or its parts - that is used, or intended to be used, for human habitation. Private dwellings are homes of any type. There can be more than one dwelling within a building. Non-private dwellings provide short or long-term communal or transitory type accommodation.
Unoccupied dwellings and those under construction are excluded from these figures.
ACCESS TO BASIC AMENITIES
These figures indicate what basic amenities (eg cooking facilities, shower or bath, and electricity) are available inside a home. The amenities need to be in working order to be counted. This information was collected for occupied private dwellings through the census form.
DWELLING DAMPNESS
The information collected in this question is a self-evaluated assessment of whether the home is always damp, sometimes damp, or not damp.
DWELLING MOULD
The information collected in this question is a self-evaluated assessment of whether the home has mould that is larger than an A4 sheet of paper (in total). Mould (mildew) may grow on the walls, ceiling, floor, doors, window frames, curtains or blinds.
FUEL TYPES USED FOR HEATING
This information refers to the fuel types used most often for heating, not every single type used in a home. More than one main fuel type may be used; for example, electricity, gas, coal, and wood. Insulation is not a fuel type.
MAIN TYPES OF HEATING USED
This information refers to the types of heating that are usually used in homes. It indicates the appliances used, and, in most cases, the fuels used (eg heat pump, fixed gas heater, wood burner). Any types of heating that are only used very rarely or are available but not used are excluded. Insulation is not a heating type.
Response rates and final data sources
DWELLING TYPE
The response rate from 2023 Census forms was 91.8%. 5.6% of dwellings were sourced from previous censuses. 0.5% were sourced from administrative data. The remaining 2.1% were imputed.
ACCESS TO BASIC AMENITIES / DWELLING DAMPNESS
The response rate from 2023 Census forms was 91.5%. There was no information for 8.5% of homes.
HEATING / DWELLING MOULD INDICATOR
The response rate from 2023 Census forms was 91.6%. There was no information for 8.4% of homes.
Definitions
Dwelling: A dwelling is any building or structure that is used, or intended to be used, for human habitation. There can be more than one dwelling within a building. For example, each apartment in an apartment building is a dwelling.
Household: either one person who usually resides alone, or two or more people who usually reside together and share facilities in a private dwelling. Included are people who were absent on census night but usually live in a particular dwelling and are members of that household, as long as they were reported as being absent on the dwelling form or the household set-up form.
Response 'stated': Members of the subject population (eg. dwellings) for which the data was obtained through a census form, administrative sources, or imputed.
Data calculation/treatment
This data has been randomly rounded to protect confidentiality. Figure.NZ calculated percentages based on the 'Total stated' values for each variable. Individual percentages may not sum to 100% and values for the same data may vary in different tables.
Geographically the census includes the North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands, plus largely uninhabited islands including the Kermadec Islands, Three Kings Islands, Mayor Island, Motiti Island, White Island, Moutohora Island, Bounty Islands, Snares Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, and Campbell Island.
The New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings is the official count of how many people and dwellings there are in New Zealand. It provides a snapshot of our society at a point in time and helps to tell the story of its social and economic change. The 2023 Census, held on Tuesday 7 March, was the 35th New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings. The first official census was run in 1851, and since 1877 there has been a census every five years, with only four exceptions.
Purpose of collection
Census information is used by government agencies, local authorities, businesses, community organisations, and the public for developing and implementing new policies, research, planning, and decision-making. It helps with making decisions about how to best use public funding, especially in areas of health, education, housing, and transport.
The census is also the primary source of information used for deciding the number of general and Māori electorates, along with data from the corresponding Māori Electoral Option.