Eight per cent of people in severe hardship

A new report on living standards in New Zealand has put 8 per cent of the population in the "severe hardship" category.

The data for the Ministry of Social Development's report, released today, was gathered in 2004 and the proportions have not changed significantly since a previous survey in 2000.

It found 76 per cent of people had "fairly comfortable" to "very good" standards of living.

Maori and Pacific people, on average, had substantially lower living standards than the population as a whole.

Their incomes were lower, they had fewer assets and compared with other groups more of them were beneficiaries.

- NZPA