A report makes the link between the gender pay gap and number of homes owned solely by women. Photo / 123rf
A report makes the link between the gender pay gap and number of homes owned solely by women. Photo / 123rf
Men are the sole-owners 31,000 more homes in New Zealand than women, a 1.8 per cent difference, a new report by CoreLogic revealed.
And while the difference might not sound significant, CoreLogic New Zealand country manager Simone Moors said it had flow-on effects in the real world, from wealth creation and the ability to self-provide in retirement.
The report, which analysed 1.7 million New Zealand properties, drew a connection between the 9.5 per cent gender pay gap in New Zealand and the gender wealth gap.
The gender pay gap is the difference in median hourly earnings for men and women.
"As we had expected before we conducted the analysis, we found a lower rate of property ownership for females, likely because of the gender pay gap to some degree.
"The lower the income, the harder it is to access property, and this has significant implications for women, especially if we are trying to create an environment where there is equal opportunity for property acquisition," said Moors.
CoreLogic New Zealand country manager Simone Moors. Photo / Supplied
The report described property ownership as a "pillar" of retirement, as outright property ownership reduced housing costs when income dropped and could significantly reduce the incidence of poverty in retirement.
Shared ownership between genders was the most common type of home ownership in New Zealand, accounting for 56.8 per cent of the properties analysed.
Auckland had the highest share of female-only property ownership, at 23.7 per cent while Kapiti Coast District's 21.5 per cent of female ownership was the highest level above the male-only ownership rate of 18.4 per cent.
On the other hand, another report has found that property is the top area Kiwi women want to invest in.
The report from Finder revealed 25 per cent of women listed "property" as the most likely area they would invest in, followed by KiwiSaver and term deposits.
However, it found men are more likely (54 per cent) to already own their first home than women (44 per cent).
Moors said there is a need to increase broader provisions for those who do not have access to the property market.
"Such as social provisions for women who may have recently exited property ownership as a result of a relationship breakdown and an increase to KiwiSaver provisions for those who have been unable to buy a property during their working life," she said.
She said any long-term policy to address rates of female property ownership should focus in part on the gender pay gap.
"Pay parity is linked to wealth parity and closing the gender pay gap would support outcomes of self-provision for retirement."
