Information on New Zealand households' expenditure, income, and material well-being is based on data collected as part of the Household Economic Survey (HES). Household expenditure is collected every three years.
The expenditure data interval between the year ended June 2019 and the year ended June 2023 is a four-year gap, rather than the typical three-year gap of this series. The difference is due to the postponement of data collection for the year ended June 2022 Household Economic Survey in response to COVID-19 restrictions. Therefore, the change in the four years may be greater than for the typical three-year gap. Apply caution when comparing trends.
Detailed household expenditure, year ended June 2023 gives you the opportunity to explore more detailed expenditure information. It includes the back series to prior HES expenditure data, and information about the implications for data quality caused by the larger sample errors associated with some of these more detailed estimates.
Key facts
For the year ended 30 June 2023:
- the average weekly expenditure for households in Aotearoa New Zealand was $1,598 (net figure after deductions from sales, trade-ins, and refunds are accounted for)
- the average weekly household expenditure increased 18.4 percent in the four years since the year ended 30 June 2019 (continuing the pattern of significant increases between reporting years since the year ended June 2007, the earliest directly comparable time period)
- regionally, Auckland had the highest average weekly household expenditure at $1,823
- housing and household utilities remained the largest expenditure group at 24.9 percent of net average weekly household expenditure (Household income and housing-costs statistics: Year ended June 2023 has more detailed analysis and commentary on housing costs)
- one-person households ($808), 'one parent with dependent child(ren) only' households ($1,115), and all other 'one parent with child(ren) only' households ($1,231) had significantly lower average weekly household expenditure than the Aotearoa New Zealand total
- the average annual household expenditure on cruises was $219 (we collected expenditure on cruises as a separate category for the first time in the year ended June 2023).
| Year | Expenditure ($) |
| 2007 | 966.1 |
| 2010 | 1021.3 |
| 2013 | 1110.1 |
| 2016 | 1260.9 |
| 2019 | 1349.8 |
| 2023 | 1597.5 |
| 938.1 | 994.1 |
|---|---|
| 995.8 | 1046.8 |
| 1071.2 | 1149.0 |
| 1202.9 | 1318.9 |
| 1313.4 | 1386.2 |
| 1556.0 | 1639.0 |
Household expenditure by region
Regional average weekly household expenditure in the year ended June 2023 showed some variation, with households in Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury having larger expenditure than the national average ($1,598).
All regions showed statistically significant increases in average weekly household expenditure since the year ended June 2019, with Wellington reporting the biggest increase, up 23.1 percent:
- Auckland - up 17.6 percent ($1,823)
- Wellington - up 23.1 percent ($1,816)
- Rest of North Island - up 17.0 percent ($1,394)
- Canterbury - up 22.1 percent ($1,618)
- Rest of South Island - up 21.9 percent ($1,401).
| Region | Expenditure ($) |
| National | 1597.5 |
| Auckland | 1822.5 |
| Wellington | 1815.6 |
| Rest of North Island | 1394.3 |
| Canterbury | 1617.9 |
| Rest of South Island | 1400.6 |
| 1556.0 | 1639.0 |
|---|---|
| 1731.4 | 1913.6 |
| 1675.8 | 1955.4 |
| 1326.0 | 1462.6 |
| 1499.8 | 1736.0 |
| 1304.0 | 1497.2 |
Household expenditure by expenditure group
Total household expenditure is broken down into 13 different groups, 12 main expenditure groups and one 'sales, trade-ins, and refunds' group. The 12 main expenditure groups can be expressed as proportions of the total net expenditure (which is expenditure after deductions from sales, trade-ins, and refunds).
The largest proportions of average weekly household expenditure were:
- housing and household utilities - 24.9 percent ($398)
- food - 18.7 percent ($300)
- transport - 15.7 percent ($252).
The smallest proportion of average weekly household expenditure was:
- education - 1.2 percent ($20).
Between the four years ended 30 June 2019 and 30 June 2023, average weekly household expenditure had an overall increase of 18.4 percent. This was driven by increases in six spending areas:
- other expenditure - up 31.4 percent (to $176 per week)
- food - up 28.1 percent (to $300 per week)
- miscellaneous goods and services - up 21.6 percent (to $139 per week)
- health - up 18.5 percent (to $50 per week)
- transport - up 16.5 percent (to $252 per week)
- housing and household utilities - up 15.5 percent (to $398 per week).
| Expenditure group | 2019 |
| "Sales | -40.4 |
| trade-ins | 19.5 |
| and refunds" | 29.4 |
| Education | 39 |
| "Alcoholic beverages | 36.7 |
| tobacco | 41.9 |
| and illicit drugs" | 51.4 |
| Communication | 130.2 |
| Clothing and footwear | 114.2 |
| Health | 133.6 |
| Household contents and services | 216 |
| Recreation and culture | 233.8 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 344.5 |
| Other expenditure | |
| Transport | |
| Food | |
| Housing and household utilities |
| -29.0 | -51.8 |
|---|---|
| 16.1 | 22.9 |
| 27.4 | 31.4 |
| 35.5 | 42.5 |
| 33.3 | 40.1 |
| 37.6 | 46.2 |
| 47.4 | 55.4 |
| 119.5 | 140.9 |
| 109.2 | 119.2 |
| 125.3 | 141.9 |
| 204.6 | 227.4 |
| 227.0 | 240.6 |
| 328.0 | 361.0 |
| Expenditure group | 2023 |
| "Sales | -38.9 |
| trade-ins | 19.9 |
| and refunds" | 31.2 |
| Education | 39.2 |
| "Alcoholic beverages | 42.7 |
| tobacco | 49.7 |
| and illicit drugs" | 57.1 |
| Communication | 133 |
| Clothing and footwear | 138.8 |
| Health | 175.7 |
| Household contents and services | 251.6 |
| Recreation and culture | 299.5 |
| Miscellaneous goods and services | 398 |
| Other expenditure | |
| Transport | |
| Food | |
| Housing and household utilities |
| -32.9 | -44.9 |
|---|---|
| 16.4 | 23.4 |
| 28.9 | 33.5 |
| 37.8 | 40.6 |
| 38.6 | 46.8 |
| 44.5 | 54.9 |
| 52.9 | 61.3 |
| 125.0 | 141.0 |
| 133.0 | 144.6 |
| 166.4 | 185.0 |
| 235.5 | 267.7 |
| 290.8 | 308.2 |
| 380.9 | 415.1 |
Household expenditure by household demographics
Total net household expenditure, broken down by three different household demographic types - size, composition, and tenure - showed notable variation.
By household size
- Five-or-more-person households ($2,273) and four-person households ($2,246) had the largest average weekly household expenditure.
- One-person households had the lowest average weekly household expenditure ($808).
| Household size | Expenditure ($) |
| National | 1597.5 |
| One-person household | 807.9 |
| Two-person household | 1529.6 |
| Three-person household | 1861.8 |
| Four-person household | 2245.9 |
| Five-or-more-person household | 2273 |
| 1556.0 | 1639.0 |
|---|---|
| 764.3 | 851.5 |
| 1465.4 | 1593.8 |
| 1755.7 | 1967.9 |
| 2120.1 | 2371.7 |
| 2084.3 | 2461.7 |
By household composition
- Couple-only households' expenditure was similar to national average weekly household expenditure ($1,611).
- One-person households had the lowest average weekly household expenditure ($808).
| Household composition | Expenditure ($) |
| National | 1597.5 |
| One-person household | 807.9 |
| One parent with dependent child(ren) only | 1114.8 |
| All other 'one parent with child(ren) only' households | 1230.8 |
| Couple only | 1611.3 |
| All other households | 1918.0 |
| Couple with one dependent child | 2091.9 |
| Other one-family households | 2092.0 |
| All other 'couples with child(ren) only' households | 2205.8 |
| Couple with two dependent children | 2208.2 |
| Couple with three or more dependent children | 2282.9 |
| 1556.0 | 1639.0 |
|---|---|
| 764.3 | 851.5 |
| 1006.7 | 1222.9 |
| 1118.8 | 1342.8 |
| 1534.0 | 1688.6 |
| 1756.9 | 2079.1 |
| 1945.5 | 2238.3 |
| 1889.1 | 2294.9 |
| 2047.0 | 2364.6 |
| 2042.6 | 2373.8 |
| 1876.5 | 2689.3 |
By tenure of household
- Dwellings held in a family trust by usual resident(s) had a weekly household expenditure of $1,843.
- Dwellings not owned by usual resident(s) had the lowest average weekly household expenditure ($1,385).
| Tenure type | Expenditure ($) |
| National | 1597.5 |
| Dwelling not owned by usual resident(s) | 1384.9 |
| Dwelling owned or partly-owned by usual resident(s) | 1680.3 |
| Dwelling held in a family trust by usual resident(s) | 1842.7 |
| 1556.0 | 1639.0 |
|---|---|
| 1319.8 | 1450.0 |
| 1613.1 | 1747.5 |
| 1660.3 | 2025.1 |
More data
Use NZ.Stat to view and download data for household expenditure statistics.
Theme: HES
Category: HES tables
Definitions and metadata
Household economic statistics (expenditure) - DataInfo+ provides background to the Household Economic Survey, the data quality, and definitions of terms in this release.
About this release
In response to COVID-19 restrictions, we postponed expenditure data collection for the Household Economic Survey for the year ended June 2022 until the year ended June 2023. As a result, the time series for this release, HES expenditure 2022/2023 is irregular. The change in the four years between 2019 and 2023 may be greater than for the usual three-year gap. Apply caution when comparing trends.
We made use of the latest population estimates based on the 2018 Census. As a result, the number of households was revised downwards by 0.1 percent for the year ended June 2019, with the largest decrease in Auckland and the largest increase in the Bay of Plenty. Looked at in isolation, census rebasing led to small changes in average household expenditures nationally. The 2018/2019 figures used in the 2022/2023 release are the revised figures.
The data we released today is the third release of data from the 2022/2023 Household Economic Survey. The other two releases were:
- Child poverty statistics: Year ended June 2023, released on 22 February 2024.
- Household income and housing-costs statistics: Year ended June 2023, released 22 February 2024
The Household income and housing-cost statistics release offers a much more comprehensive analysis and commentary on housing cost, using the large and more robust core sample of the overall household economic survey. Expenditure on housing as measured in the Household income and housing-cost statistics release is taken from a combination of household expenditure groups and subgroups different from the housing and household utilities expenditure group as measured in the Household Economic Expenditure Survey. Comparisons between these two variables should be avoided.
Household income and housing cost statistics - HES (Income) - DataInfo+ provides more information.
Technical enquiries
Regan O'Neill
04 931 4172
[email protected]
ISSN 2537-6519
Next release
Household expenditure statistics: Year ended June 2026 will be released in early 2027.
