This article explores recent patterns in domestic or internal migration between 2021 and 2022 using a new dataset from Stats NZ, exploring potential factors that shape the flow of Kiwis throughout the country. Read

Spending activity continues to be in focus, with Black Friday sales and the looming Christmas shopping season providing some insight into household budgets. Read

New Zealand’s economy looks to have expanded further in the September 2023 quarter, although momentum has slowed as various economic pressures hit. Continued jobs and population growth have supported growth, but high inflation and higher interest rates have moderated the strength seen in the economy. Rising pressures on the primary sector are also beginning to hit provincial economies. Read

The average annual rate of supplier cost increases continued to moderate in October. The Infometrics-Foodstuffs New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index (GSCI) shows a 5.4% increase in what suppliers charged supermarkets for goods in October 2023 compared to a year ago – down from 6.1%pa in September 2023. Read

There are increasing questions being raised in the provinces about how hard the hit to the primary sector, and by extension the broader New Zealand economy, might be from lower export prices. That mounting risk represents a shift in focus from higher interest rates, which have dominated the discussion about factors weighing on the economy over the last two years, as the official cash rate has been ramped up from 0.25% to 5.5% and mortgage rates have hit a 14-year high. Higher fuel prices are adding to economic challenges, costing families more and raising the cost of moving goods around. Read

Infometrics has recently added a new section to our Regional Economic Profile which explores the Pacific Peoples population and their role in regional labour markets. This article outlines the growing significance of New Zealand’s Pacific Peoples population in the context of broader demographic shifts. Read

The final vote counts and seat allocations from the election will be released this Friday, confirming whether NZ First is part of the next government and, if so, how much power they have. Although formal coalition talks have yet to begin, more informal conversations between the parties are ongoing, and National will already be compiling the key policies to feed into its expected mini-Budget in December. Given the issues that were dominating voters’ thinking in the lead-up to the election, what might be at the top of the new government’s to-do list? Read

Last week Stats NZ published the latest subnational population estimates – an exciting time for those of us with a regional demographic focus. In theory, these annual population estimates should be boring – population should follow a fairly stable and predictable trend. However, our economic and demographic environment continues to be anything but boring. This article explores how New Zealand’s population growth has changed over the past year, before diving into the surprises of the subnational population estimates. Read

Although the top-ranking city in the Infometrics Creativity Index remained the same in 2022, there were some movements further down the ranking as local economies bounced back from the impact of COVID. Read

Global diesel prices have surged significantly over the last few months. Driven largely by supply constraints, our Chart of the Month shows how this surge has led to a significant import cost premium over petrol. Elevated diesel prices will have ripple effects throughout both the global and local economies, and risk inflation remaining higher for longer. Read