Gareth Kiernan
Gareth Kiernan
Chief Forecaster, Director
ForecastingMediaPresentations

Gareth heads up the forecasting team at Infometrics, managing the preparation of the company’s regular forecast publications. Within the forecast process, he is responsible for the macroeconomic overview and building and property forecasts. Gareth has completed a range of consulting projects, many focused on the housing market and construction industry, and he regularly provides presentations that provide relevant economic information in an accessible, clear, and entertaining manner. He is also frequently sought out by the media for comment on topical economic issues.

Gareth’s management experience at Infometrics has given him a good understanding of how economic issues affect business decision making and development. Gareth joined Infometrics in early 1999, having graduated from the University of Canterbury the previous year with a MCom (Hons) in economics and a BSc in economics and statistics. He became managing director of Infometrics in 2006, and he moved into the operations director role in 2014.

Significant consulting reports prepared by Gareth in recent years include: analysing demand conditions for a residential development looking to be progressed in the upper North Island; a report on the provision of affordable housing in Queenstown; forecasting construction labour requirements in Otago given the rebuild of Dunedin Hospital; and several pieces of expert witness evidence for construction cost escalation relating to remedial building work. He prepared Infometrics’ publicly available Regional Hotspots 2016 report, which highlighted some of the key growth regions for New Zealand over the next decade, discussing the opportunities arising in these growth areas as well as potential challenges posed by growth. He is also the author of Infometrics’ Megatrends Report (2018), as well as Food for Thought, which examines potential demand for exports from regions at the top of the South Island (available for download on our Reports page).

Gareth is a born-and-bred Wellingtonian and has four children. Gareth is a long-suffering supporter of the New Zealand cricket team, and he enjoys going tramping and getting off the beaten track every now and then.

Articles by Gareth Kiernan

Webinars by Gareth Kiernan

Pre-Election Outlook
Pre-Election Outlook
Monday 25 September 2023
Into recession … sort of
Into recession … sort of
Wednesday 28 June 2023
Budget 2023 and OCR
Budget 2023 and OCR
Thursday 25 May 2023
Economic Forecast Outlook
Economic Forecast Outlook
Thursday 27 April 2023
2023 Economic Preview
2023 Economic Preview
Tuesday 24 January 2023
Global inflationary pressures
Global inflationary pressures
Tuesday 27 September 2022
A different approach to housing affordability
A different approach to housing affordability
Monday 27 June 2022
Implications of rising inflation, interest rates
Implications of rising inflation, interest rates
Tuesday 22 March 2022
Omicron and the economic outlook for 2022
Omicron and the economic outlook for 2022
Tuesday 25 January 2022
How Delta changes the game
How Delta changes the game
Thursday 30 September 2021
Economic talks by Gareth Kiernan

Monthly SPI data points to worrying inflation pressure
Monthly SPI data points to worrying inflation pressure
Friday 15 March 2024
Building activity down at the end of 2023
Building activity down at the end of 2023
Friday 8 March 2024
RBNZ keeps the OCR on hold at 5.50%
RBNZ keeps the OCR on hold at 5.50%
Wednesday 28 February 2024
Retail activity falls at the end of 2023
Retail activity falls at the end of 2023
Friday 23 February 2024
House sales remain low into 2024
House sales remain low into 2024
Friday 16 February 2024
Unemployment rate rises, but less than expected
Unemployment rate rises, but less than expected
Friday 9 February 2024
Infometrics forecasts show better economic outlook driven by high migration
Infometrics forecasts show better economic outlook driven by high migration
Friday 2 February 2024
Inflation moderating, but not enough yet
Inflation moderating, but not enough yet
Thursday 25 January 2024
Econ Talks - RBNZ makes sensible 50bp increase to the OCR
Econ Talks - RBNZ makes sensible 50bp increase to the OCR
Wednesday 22 February 2023
Econ Talks - Infometrics forecasts point to a prolonged economic hit
Econ Talks - Infometrics forecasts point to a prolonged economic hit
Friday 3 February 2023
Gareth Kiernan in the news