Economic Data Reporter
The Data Desk owns Stats NZ releases — GDP, CPI, HLFS, balance of payments, productivity. Numbers-first reporting that translates the print into what it means for households and the policy outlook.
New Zealand retail sales volumes increased 0.9 percent in the March 2026 quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis. The gain matched the December 2025 quarter and exceeded market expectations of 0.5 percent.
New Zealand’s fuel stocks stood at 56.2 days of petrol, 46.3 days of diesel and 47.7 days of jet fuel as at 11:59pm on 13 May 2026, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
New Zealand's services sector remained in contraction in April 2026. The BNZ-BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index rose 2.7 points to 48.9 from a revised 46.2 in March.
New Zealand food prices stayed flat in April 2026, rising just 2.6 per cent over the year — the softest annual pace since February 2025 — according to Stats NZ data that highlights how government-mandated shifts continue to drive up household costs.
Diesel prices in New Zealand rose 94.9 percent in the two months to April 2026, the largest sustained spike in at least 15 years, Stats NZ data show.
The seasonally adjusted BNZ-BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index dropped to 50.5 in April 2026 from 53.2 in March, marking the weakest expansion in months as fuel costs surge.
