Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Crowding

For the 'sky is falling' types a paper released by Statistics NZ today describes 'crowding ' since 1921.

"The 1921 Census identified 9 percent of dwellings as crowded. These were dwellings with more than 1.5 people per room (now considered severe crowding)......According to the 1921 people per room measure, less than 1 percent of households were severely crowded in 2006."

Just under 1 in 10  down to under 1 in 100.

The world is a better place in very, many ways.

5 comments:

Kiwiwit said...

You are absolutely right. Commentators talk about poverty as though it was an absolute but of course it is relative. The poorest in most Western societies today are much better off than those in poverty 100 years ago and much better off than those in poverty in much of the third world today.

People also tend to forget the natural state of man is to be poor (at least in the material sense). We all came from wearing animal skins and living in caves. Every gain since then has been due to individual men and women using their minds to create better lives through technology and innovation. None of the overall improvement in our lives has been due to government actions. No government has ever invented a better house or more nutrious food. All governments have ever done is take from those who improve the lives of everyone and give to those who don't.

Anonymous said...

Just under 1 in 10 down to under 1 in 100.

How is that "better" - it's clearly a less efficient use of resources. Given NZ's massive per-capita overseas debt, all the money to do this was borrowed and is going to have to be paid back!

In 1900 most people still built their own home, and built only what they could afford!

Nowadays, the country is mortgaged up to the hilt both privately and publicly (trough NZ's vast welfare system) and most Kiwis are living in houses they cannot really afford and most certainly do not deserve!

baxter said...

Maybe Schapelle Corby could give a better definition of crowding.

FF said...

What is crowding in one culture is a warm family life in another culture.

Depends how 'extended' the family is.

Anonymous said...

You'll be happy when the housing crisis escalates to this level?.

http://www.good.is/post/how-many-minimum-wage-hours-does-it-take-to-afford-a-decent-life/