As a first world country on the surface New Zealand may seem like a country that has a little economic inequality. However, economic inequality is one of the main social issues that is important to New Zealand and also relates to racial inequality as well as gender inequality. These vulnerable groups in New Zealand are the most impacted by economic disparity, 40% of pacific peoples in the country are living in “severe hardship” and one in seven households in the country live in poverty. These groups are mainly affected because of the large disparity of pay both between women and men as well as towards minorities. On average women in New Zealand get paid $27.41 an hour whereas men get paid $31.82. As well as pay between the Pakeha and Māori people is also significant, Pakeha get paid $33.59 per hour and Māori get paid $26.05 per hour. These gaps in pay are what cause the economic disparity between minority groups and the reason the majority of those in poverty in the country are part of those minority groups.