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KiwiSaver, retirement, and fiscal sustainability – who should bear the risk and the return of retirement policies?

Budget 2025 set aside $275 million for social investment initiatives, including a Social Investment Fund. How to make it work?

Budget 2025 announced $1.78 billion in new operational spending for health, but what is the investment need in the health sector today? We crunched the numbers.

The “Growth Budget” keeps the government on track towards its fiscal responsibility objectives despite global economic headwinds.

The rebound effect: the economic phenomenon that explains how increased energy efficiency can lead to higher energy use due to behavioural or economic responses.

Despite mounting pressure on international trade, services trade has continued to expand. Yet the full value of trade in services is not entirely known.

A New Zealand space sector was once a fantasy. However, a new era for the space industry is well underway, and New Zealand is part of the action.

As debates rage on about the role of the state in sustaining economic growth, economic thinking around “crowding” effects is quietly evolving.

Current economic conditions are disproportionately affecting youth and young adults, leaving them behind and facing significant challenges in securing employment. 

2024’s child poverty release was the first time that the government was judged to have missed its targets on all three measures.

Productivity underpins the viability and sustainability of the pillars, including superannuation, of our economic and fiscal model.

AI requires massive energy requirements to both develop and operate; however, it also is an opportunity for increased energy grid efficiency.  

Throughout human history, biodiversity has been essential to survival, but what value, if any, does biodiversity bring to the modern economy?

How can sustainable economic policies shape intergenerational equity to ensure future generations inherit a fair and thriving world?  

Statistics NZ has published the first release of more detailed 2023 Census data. We have a brief look at some of the more interesting data that is available.

The 2024 financial statements of the Government revealed the largest OBEGAL deficit since COVID-19 and the GFC. 

New Zealand is a tale of two worlds – high bachelor’s degree attainment coinciding with high numbers of adults with no secondary school qualification.

If you want to export butter to Thailand, there are three trade agreements with avenues for you to leverage; how do you navigate them to maximise the benefits?

How has the primary sector dominated our economy? Why are our food products internationally sought after with a reputation for quality? R&D has the answer. 

Growing knowledge-intensive service industries is an opportunity to address New Zealand’s declining productivity.

Can the unrealised potential of the ANZTEC be leveraged to help New Zealand achieve its ambitious export goals? 

The housing crisis is at the heart of the issue of increasing poverty among older people. 

Diversifying the primary sector’s core crops with high-value crops like saffron would add resilience to New Zealand’s economy.

Unemployment is forecast to increase. The Government, however, has a goal of shifting a significant number of people off the Jobseeker Support benefit.

Tax cuts provide short-term relief, but if we are to become more prosperous and improve living standards, long-term productivity improvements are essential.

New Zealand’s two-way trade with the Pacific Islands Forum reached close to $4 billion by March 2024. At its core, this is built on people-to-people interactions. 

Finally, the first numbers from the 2023 Census have been released. We have close to five million people, and have an older but more ethnically diverse population.

Environmental and climate change initiatives have not been slashed and burned, instead the money has been shifted around to reflect different priorities.

A no-surprises first budget for the coalition government sees two thirds of new funding for budget 2024 going to education, health, and law and order.

We have been shielded from high youth unemployment, but are we aligning with countries where high youth unemployment rates have been persistent for decades?