The Survey of Family, Income, and Employment (SoFIE) collected information on respondents' work, family, household circumstances, income, and net worth.

A full set of data (waves 1–8) has now been released into the Data Lab. For access to this dataset and/or more information on SoFIE, email us at sofie@stats.govt.nz.

Information releases

Survey of Family, Income, and Employment

Statistics NZ published information releases for each of the first four waves (only), including a selection of summary tables.

Reports and articles

Statistics NZ

• New weighting methodology for longitudinal surveys: As applied in the Survey of Family, Income, and Employment (2011). This report presents a weighting and calibration methodology developed to overcome complications in determining if longitudinal respondents were in or out of scope of the Survey of Family, Income, and Employment.
• Family net worth in New Zealand (2008)
• Wealth and disparities in New Zealand (2007)
• A longitudinal survey of income, employment, and family dynamics – feasibility project (2001)

University of Otago, Wellington

• Dynamics of income and deprivation in New Zealand, 2002–2009
• Cohort profile: Survey of Families, Income, and Employment (SoFIE) and Health Extension (SoFIE-Health)
• The relationship between income and health using longitudinal data from New Zealand
• Does transition into parenthood lead to changes in mental health? Findings from three waves of a population based panel study
• Ethnic differences in access to prescription medication because of cost in New Zealand
• The relationship between trends in income inequalities and poverty in New Zealand

Full list of publications and presentations of the SoFIE-Health project

The Treasury

• Housing in the household portfolio and implications for retirement saving: Some initial findings from SoFIE 
• Are kiwis saving enough for retirement? Preliminary evidence from SoFIE
• KiwiSaver: Comparing survey and administrative data
• KiwiSaver and the accumulation of net wealth
• Income mobility in New Zealand: A descriptive analysis

Other reports

• Moving on: Changes in a year in family living arrangements (Families Commission) 
• Intergenerational and interfamilial transfers of wealth and housing (Centre for Housing Research) 
• Pacific peoples' homeownership in New Zealand (MOTU)

Newspaper articles

• "What price wealth?" – Lisa Bradley, Sunday Star Times, 20 May 2007
• Is home ownership all it's hyped up to be? – Chris Daniels, NZ Herald, 16 Dec 2007
• "Kiwis may not be such poor savers after all" – Brian Fallow, NZ Herald, 14 Jan 2010

Information about the survey

SoFIE survey objectives and questionnaire flowcharts

Page updated 2 February 2015