This article briefly discusses the nature and measurement of poverty in developed countries, outlines the main trends in poverty rates in New Zealand over recent decades, comments on why poverty matters, and assesses recent government policy changes designed to alleviate poverty, especially child poverty. It also outlines what further measures will be required if New Zealand is to meet its commitments under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to halve poverty rates by 2030. In effect, this would entail returning poverty rates to the levels witnessed during the mid-1980s and reducing material hardship rates to Scandinavian levels.