WELLINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The cost of living for the average New Zealand household increased 2.4 percent in the 12 months to the September 2025 quarter, Stats NZ reported Tuesday.
The 2.4-percent increase, measured by the household living-costs price indexes (HLPIs), follows a 2.6-percent increase in the 12 months to the June 2025 quarter, according to a statement of the statistics department.
The most recent high was 8.2 percent recorded in the 12 months to the December 2022 quarter, Stats NZ said.
The 2.4-percent rise is slightly lower than the 3-percent inflation rate measured by the consumer price index (CPI) over the same period, it said, adding the difference is largely due to a 15.4-percent drop in mortgage interest payments, which are included in the HLPIs but not the CPI.
The HLPIs measure how inflation affects 13 different household groups, while the CPI measures how inflation affects New Zealand as a whole, serving as the primary gauge for monetary policy decisions, the statement said.
Mortgage interest payments decreased significantly, benefiting highest-spending households that recorded the lowest annual inflation of 0.8 percent. By contrast, superannuitants experienced a higher inflation rate of 3.9 percent, as most own their homes outright and have little mortgage impact, Stats NZ said.
Electricity costs surged 11.3 percent in the 12 months to September 2025, affecting lowest-spending households the most, contributing 19 percent to their 4-percent inflation, it said.
Rent increased 2.6 percent in the 12 months to September 2025, having more impact on beneficiaries, since rent represents nearly 30 percent of their household expenditure, comparing with 13.1 percent for the average household, and 5.1 percent for highest-spending households, it added.
