Distributional Analysis of KiwiSaver Contributions - Kirkpatrick, Linda; Meehan, Lisa; Pacheco, Gail (New Zealand Policy Research Institute - Te Kāhui Rangahau Mana Taurite, 2024)
Melville Jessup Weaver (MJW, 2022) completed a KiwiSaver Demographic Study for Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission using KiwiSaver provider data, covering about 93% of members. This research presented KiwiSaver balances by age and gender. This work complements MJW’s study by examining KiwiSaver payroll contributions (available in Stats NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure) rather than balances. It examines KiwiSaver contributions and how these differ by gender and ethnicity, in addition to other demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. We examine two main research questions:  RQ1: For those with positive KiwiSaver contributions, how do KiwiSaver payroll contribution rates and opt-out rates differ by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics?  RQ2: How do KiwiSaver payroll contributions/non-contributions and savings suspensions differ by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics? Note that the opt-outs and savings suspensions are both proxy indicators due to limitations of the available IR payroll data for measuring KiwiSaver membership. In the future, the linking of IR KiwiSaver data to the IDI would allow actual indicators for opt-outs and savings suspensions to be examined.