New Zealand to Introduce Monthly Inflation Updates From July 2027

Inflation influences many aspects of daily life, including grocery bills, mortgage repayments, transport costs and business expenses.

New Zealand will begin publishing monthly inflation figures from July 2027, giving households, businesses and policymakers more regular updates on changes in the cost of living. The move marks one of the most significant changes to the country's economic reporting system in decades and is expected to provide faster insights into price movements across the economy.

Statistics Minister Scott Simpson said the introduction of a monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) will allow New Zealanders to access inflation data every month instead of waiting for the current quarterly reports. More frequent updates are expected to improve decision-making for families managing household budgets, businesses planning investments and government agencies monitoring economic conditions.

More Frequent Inflation Data for Better Decisions

Inflation influences many aspects of daily life, including grocery bills, mortgage repayments, transport costs and business expenses. Simpson said having monthly CPI figures will give economists, the Reserve Bank, government agencies and the wider business community a clearer picture of changing prices throughout the year.

Regular reporting is expected to help organisations respond more quickly to shifts in inflation while giving consumers a better understanding of how living costs are changing from month to month.

Phased Rollout to Maintain Accuracy

The transition to monthly CPI reporting will take place gradually to ensure the data remains accurate and reliable. Rather than replacing the quarterly CPI immediately, Statistics New Zealand will publish monthly and quarterly inflation figures alongside each other during the rollout.

Keeping both measures available will allow users to continue relying on the established quarterly index while becoming familiar with the new monthly data. The phased approach is intended to maintain confidence in New Zealand's official economic statistics throughout the transition.

Modernising New Zealand's Economic Statistics

The Government says the change is part of a broader effort to strengthen the country's economic data systems and provide more responsive information for public and private sector decision-makers.

Simpson said the focus is on improving the quality, trust and usefulness of official statistics while responding to growing demand for more timely inflation data. By introducing monthly CPI alongside the existing quarterly measure, New Zealand will be better equipped to track economic trends and support informed financial decisions across the country.