Articles

Housing demand is often discussed in terms of population growth, but the factors that drive the need for new housing extend well beyond how many people live in New Zealand.

Oil prices are climbing again, raising fresh concerns about the durability of New Zealand’s economic recovery.

A year ago, we were critical of the government’s assertion that there was plenty of public sector activity taking place in the construction industry, and that the downturn was solely due to a lack of private sector work.

New Zealand’s migration story is starting to shift again. Net migration remains well below the extraordinary highs of recent years, but fewer people are leaving, more Kiwis are returning home, and some of the traditional destinations for New Zealanders are looking less attractive than they once did.

The June 2026 quarter was a costly one for New Zealand businesses. The surge in global fuel prices through March and April flowed rapidly through the economy, pushing up operating costs, freight charges, construction prices, and the cost of a range of oil-linked products.

A 53% spike in diesel costs, due to global oil supply disruption caused by the Iran War, was the attention-grabbing number for transport firms in the June 2026 quarter.

The New Zealand economy appears to have weathered the fuel price shock and wider geopolitical disruption of 2026 better than initially feared. Compared with prior to the Iran War, fuel prices remain elevated and inflation pressures have intensified, but both have eased from their peaks.

China’s economy is losing momentum, as weak household spending and a prolonged construction downturn continue to weigh on domestic activity.

On July 3 (New Zealand time), Germany’s coalition government announced changes to sick leave rules requiring workers to provide a doctor's note to their employer on the first day of illness. Here we look at regulations around sick leave in New Zealand, trends in sick leave taken, and the costs, benefits, and the feasibility of taking a similar approach over here.

Regional tourism estimates are – or at least were – a critical performance measure for regional tourism sectors. MBIE recently introduced a new edition of the monthly regional tourism estimates (MRTE). In this weeks’ insight, we go through the storied history of tourism expenditure estimates, and highlight what is wrong with the latest series.