WELLINGTON, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The cost of living for the average New Zealand household rose 3.2 percent in the year to the June 2026 quarter, accelerating from a 2.1-percent increase in the previous quarter, official data showed on Tuesday.
The increase, measured by the household living-costs price indexes, was driven mainly by higher petrol prices, which climbed 27.5 percent over the period and accounted for almost one-third of the annual rise in average household living costs, Stats NZ said.
The rise in fuel prices coincided with supply disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict that began at the end of February. Petrol prices increased in March and April before easing in May and June, said the statistics department.
Higher petrol prices affected household groups differently, with lower-spending households hit hardest because petrol accounts for a larger share of their spending, said Nicola Growden, spokesperson for Stats NZ prices and deflators.
Diesel prices also rose over the period, contributing nearly 10 percent of the average household inflation rate, the department said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's annual inflation rate, measured by the consumer price index (CPI), was 4.1 percent in the 12 months to the June 2026 quarter, up from 3.1 percent in the year to the March quarter, it said.
Stats NZ said that average household living-cost increases remained below the CPI inflation rate mainly because interest payments fell by more than 15 percent over the period, while the cost of building a new home increased 2.7 percent. ■
