New Zealand Insurance Gaps Reveal a Material Inclusion and Climate-Risk Challenge

Wellington, New Zealand, 25 August 2026 – New Zealand’s insurance market is not consistently meeting the needs of Māori consumers, exposing affordability, product-design and trust gaps that also carry implications for climate resilience. Research by the country’s financial-market regulator found that Māori are less likely than the general population to hold car, home and health insurance.

The study involved more than 950 Māori participants. Seventeen per cent reported experiencing insurance problems during the previous two years, nearly twice the rate recorded in a comparable survey of the wider population. The result indicates that the issue extends beyond low take-up and includes difficulties in product access, claims processes and customer experience.