Articles

This week Stats NZ released its latest subnational population estimates. In this article, we dive into the latest population growth trends nationally and what this means for each corner of the country.

New Zealand's fireworks imports have fizzled to one of their lowest levels in decades, suggesting this year's Guy Fawkes celebrations could be considerably quieter than usual.

Recently, Infometrics measured the economic contribution of Indians living in New Zealand (Kiwi Indians). Here, I walk you through how the method works and how an economic contribution study could work for other demographic groups.

The September 2026 quarter inflation headline looked better than expected at first glance, but the more we looked through the details, the more concerning underlying inflation trends appeared.

New Zealand's economic recovery remains on track, but the path forward has become more uncertain over recent months. A renewed surge in global oil prices, risks of more persistent inflation, and rising interest rates are challenging expectations of a smooth acceleration in growth.

New Zealand’s economy is in recovery mode, even if it doesn’t feel like it, according to Infometrics’ latest economic forecasts. Economic growth, most recently measured at 1.7%pa by Stats NZ, is set to hold above 1.5%pa through until mid-2027, before accelerating to 2.2%pa by the end of next year.

The pace of supplier cost increases to Foodstuffs supermarkets in September was again unchanged from the last two months, with the Infometrics-Foodstuffs New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index (GSCI) showing an average 1.9% increase in what suppliers charged in September 2026, compared with a year earlier.

New Zealand’s rural economy has been doing much of the heavy lifting in the recovery. Strong export returns have supported farm incomes and spending across provincial areas, particularly in the South Island.

There has been considerably more interest in exchange rates recently, with the New Zealand dollar under pressure and sinking lower across various currencies.

Jet fuel prices have taken off again, reaching record highs in September and adding another layer of cost pressure for airlines. For New Zealand, the risks extend well beyond airline balance sheets.