Vulnerable Adults NZ

We give voice to vulnerable adults - and all adults at risk - by influencing public understanding, legislation, and systemic safeguards to prevent and eliminate abuse in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our mission is to see all vulnerable adults in Aotearoa New Zealand thrive in an environment free from coercive control abuse, exploitation and neglect.

What we are doing

Advocating for stronger laws and safeguarding systems
Giving vulnerable adults and carers a national voice
Ensuring equitable access to specialist abuse services
Increasing public awareness and cultural change
Influencing government policy with data and lived experience
Monitoring international policies, laws and frameworks

Why is our mahi important?

This is about all of us. At any time, we could be the adult who is experiencing harm or abuse. The person where age, disability, ill health or mental distress make it harder for us to protect ourselves. What is the Current Situation in New Zealand?

How many vulnerable adult abuse cases are there in Aotearoa New Zealand?

There is no single organisation that provides an integrated, cohesive approach across agencies for supporting vulnerable adults. The best, very broad estimates relate to older persons, aged 65 years and above.

Age Concern reference that 10% of over 65s living in our community experienced abuse in the past year.

There are 2,200 cases of elder abuse each year in New Zealand. It is estimated that 75% of cases of elder abuse go unreported.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that one in six people, 60 years and older, experienced some form of abuse in the past year.

In the USA approximately 10% of adults over 65 suffer one type of abuse each year. Only one in 24 abuse cases are reported.

The exact number depends on which prevalence estimate is used. Two estimates are commonly cited in New Zealand:

Conservative estimate: 1 in 10 older people

This is the estimate used by the Ministry of Social Development, Health New Zealand, and New Zealand Police.

With approximately 940,000 New Zealanders aged 65 years and over in recent population estimates, this equates to about 94,000 older people experiencing elder abuse.

WHO/global estimate: 1 in 6 older people

The World Health Organization estimates that one in six community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older experience abuse each year.

A recent Ministry of Social Development review noted that if this prevalence applied to New Zealand's projected older population (around 1.2 million people aged ≥65 by 2034), approximately 200,000 older people would experience abuse annually.

Current New Zealand data

Official New Zealand agencies generally continue to use the 1 in 10 estimate because it is based on New Zealand survey data, while acknowledging that this is likely an underestimate because elder abuse is substantially underreported. Health New Zealand notes that over 2,200 cases are identified each year, but estimates that around 75% of cases are never reported.