better stats nz
Latest release · Sep 2026 quarter
5.7

Unemployment was 5.7% in the Sep 2026 quarter, up from 5.3% a year earlier. That's 169,100 people looking for work.

Household Labour Force Survey · Stats NZ · seasonally adjusted Who is out of work
Unemployment rate, %, seasonally adjusted

Latest figures

Inflation (CPI) 3.7% annual change, Sep 2026 quarter Stats NZ · Explore
Unemployment 5.7% seasonally adjusted, Sep 2026 quarter Stats NZ · Explore
GDP +0.2% on the quarter, +2.6% on the same quarter a year earlier (+1.7% annual average), Jun 2026 quarter Stats NZ · Explore
Net migration +22,612 people, 12-month total (provisional), Year to Sep 2026 Stats NZ · Explore
New homes consented 41,091 12-month total, Year to Sep 2026 Stats NZ · Explore

Coming up

Release calendar

Explore by topic

Cost of living

How fast prices are rising, what's driving them, and whether pay is keeping up.

What's driving inflation?3.7%annual CPI, Sep 2026 quarterWhat's happening to prices month by month?+2.4%food prices, year to Sep 2026Whose living costs are rising fastest?4.0%highest rise by household type, Sep 2026 quarterAre wages keeping up with prices?−0.8%hourly pay after inflation, Sep 2026 quarter

Jobs and income

Who has work, who doesn't, and what they're paid.

Where does my household's income sit?$55,257median income per person, adjusted for household size, year to June 2025Where are the jobs?+1.0%filled jobs, September 2026 on a year earlierWho is out of work?5.7%unemployment, Sep 2026 quarterAre wages keeping up with prices?$44.86average hourly pay, Sep 2026 quarter

Economy and trade

How fast the economy is growing, which industries are driving it, what we trade, and what money costs.

What do we sell, and who buys it?$85.2bgoods exports, year to Sep 2026Where does the government's money go?$158.6boperating spending, 2024/25 ($29,779 per person)Where does demand come from?Householdsspend the most: 44% of final demand, year to March 2026What does an export pull through the economy?$15of imports in every $100 of dairy product exportsHow does each industry fit in?109industry profilesWho supplies whom?$273bbought by industries from each other, year to March 2020Are people spending more?+1.0%card spending, year to Oct 2026Are more businesses opening or closing?−7,095net change in business locations, year to February 2026How confident are businesses?102.8business confidence, September 2026 (100 = long-run average)Are interest rates high?3.25%90-day bank bill rate, Oct 2026What's driving the economy?+2.6%GDP growth over the year, Jun 2026 quarter

Housing

What it costs to rent, and how many homes are being built, where, and what kind.

Who can afford housing?48.4%of renters spend 30% or more of income on housing, year to June 2025What does it cost to rent?$594median weekly rent, new tenancies, Jul–Sep 2026Are we building enough homes?41,091new homes consented, year to Sep 2026

People

How many of us there are, where we live, and who is arriving and leaving.

How is the population changing?5,324,700people, June 2025Who is arriving, and who is leaving?+22,612net migration, year to Sep 2026

Health

How healthy we are, who is struggling, and who can't get care.

Who is struggling with mental health?14.3%adults with high or very high psychological distress, 2024/25Who skips the doctor because of cost?14.9%adults who didn't see a GP because of the cost, 2024/25How healthy are we?86.6%adults who rate their health as good or better, 2024/25

Safety

How likely people are to be victims of crime, how people get hurt, and what's happening in the courts.

How likely am I to be a victim of crime?27.5%of adults were victims of crime, survey year 2025How likely am I to be seriously injured, and how?14,283people seriously injured, 2024How safe are our roads?270people killed in road crashes, 2025What's happening in the courts?65,066adults with charges finalised, 2025

Environment

Where our greenhouse gas emissions come from, whether they're falling, and how our electricity is made.

What's in our emissions?−2.9%change in emissions, year to Jun 2026Where does our electricity come from?95.3%renewable, 12 months to October 2026Are we switching to electric cars?26%of new cars plug in, 12 months to October 2026

All the data, with downloads