Older people in Otago reported lower life satisfaction and sharper declines in wellbeing than the national average in a new survey of New Zealanders aged 50 and over.
The New Zealand Seniors Quality of Life Report 2025, run by research firm MYMAVINS in early April, found life satisfaction nationally sits at just under seven out of 10.
Additional breakdowns provided to The Star put Otago closer to six out of 10, pointing to a real gap on the same 0-10 scale.
More residents said their quality of life had dropped in the past two years.
Roughly one in five in Otago reported a significant slide, compared with about one in 10 nationally.
About one in ten in the region expect another decline in the next two years, next to only 3% across the country.
Cost pressures loomed largest for Otago respondents, alongside health, day-to-day mobility and the strain of making ends meet.
About two-thirds pointed to rising living costs, nearly three in five to health and mobility and just over half to financial security.
Nationally, the top impacts were living costs at about three-quarters, financial security at about three in five and health and mobility at roughly two in five.
Access to care and its affordability also weighed on seniors in Otago.
MYMAVINS consulting partner Tai Rotem said it did appear across a number of measures in the survey that people in Otago were experiencing challenges compared to the national average.
Almost a third of Otago seniors said they delayed seeking medical care in the past year compared to just 12% of New Zealanders across the country.
"So that is pretty stark.
"I think that is probably largely reflecting really the pointy end of the stick in terms of people being under financial pressures."
Someone needed to be under quite severe financial pressure and stress to delay seeking medical care, Mr Rotem said.
"That is one of the more extreme kind of responses and sort of symptoms of people being under financial stress.
"I think that does reflect that it looks like Otago seniors are under a lot more financial pressures and that is realising itself in terms of their behaviours to cope with that."
The pattern seemed to point to Otago seniors feeling the pinch of living costs, reporting more health and mobility strain and describing sizable setbacks more often than the national average.
Age Concern Otago chief executive Mike Williams said many people over 65 were on fixed incomes and not all had access to retirement savings.
"So when you are on a fixed income, New Zealand superannuation, this is where you start having to make those tough calls.
"What do I pay for this week? Do I go to the doctor? Do I get food? The power bill's big."
Age Concern Otago social connections team leader Tristan Kavanagh said older people might have to scrimp on their food bill to be able to afford to go to the doctors.
Some seniors could also put off contacting emergency services such as ambulances because they did not want to "bother them".
As well as stress caused by financial strain, seniors could become more isolated as they aged and experience increased feelings of loneliness.
Age Concern Otago’s social connection services help connect volunteers with older people, Ms Kavanagh said.
"So I match a volunteer to an older person and they have the same person visiting each week.
"Some people go on outings together but most people are just happy for the volunteers to pop around and have a cup of coffee with them and a chat."
There is a growing demand for community social work, Mr Williams said.
"So that is typically for people with higher and more complex need living in the community.
"Some of them may be dealing with issues of cognitive decline, some of them may be living with mental illness and issues like that."
Age Concern Otago is receiving more referrals from the community and health organisations, Mr Williams said.
"So we'd love to be able to do more on that."
