The economy remains in the thick of it, with tough operating conditions in the September quarter according to Infometrics’ latest monitoring of regional economies. Despite falling interest rates, business conditions are difficult at present, with rising unemployment limiting spending and investment ... Read

The 2023 Infometrics Creativity Index confirms many of the trends and outcomes of previous years, but with some subtle differences below the surface. The overall importance of the arts and creative sector to the New Zealand economy was unchanged in 2023 from a year ago, with 4.27% of the workforce employed in the sector. Read

We are introducing a new indicator for first home buyer activity – First Home Loans. This article explores first home buyer activity in the housing market from a few different angles and introduces our new measure. Read

In our October 2024 Chart of the Month, we explore the role of peer to peer (P2P) accommodation around the country, finding that P2P makes up more than a third of guest nights in some areas, and not in the tourism hotspots that you might expect. Read

Stats NZ released their latest subnational population estimates, providing us with an annual glimpse into how New Zealand’s population is growing around the country. In this article, we highlight the overall trends of the 2024 estimates and pull out interesting results from specific cities or districts. Read

Stats NZ released the first detailed tranche of 2023 Census data today, including detail on individuals and households down to a small area level. In this article, we share ten insights from the 2023 Census. Read

Housing affordability is an important issue affecting the wellbeing of households. Recently, we dove deeper on housing affordability for two Waikato Region clients. This article explores several new ways of exploring local housing affordability to inform decision making. Read

The challenges of structural ageing and population decline are set to shine through again with subnational population estimates due next month. This article explores previous periods of population decline – looking at how effective migration is at holding back decline, how we should plan for decline, and what has happened to areas which have experienced population decline in our history. Read

Despite being a relatively small country internationally, New Zealand is geographically diverse enough that there is never a single economic "story". One example of this can be seen if we divide the country up into "Metro", "Provincial" and "Rural" areas and examine rental affordability. Read

Weaker economic activity and falling employment are hitting regional economies, with the economic crunch deepening across the country, according to Infometrics’ latest monitoring of regional economies. Read