Stats NZ will begin moving more than 60 business survey forms to a new online tool from August.
This shift is part of Stats NZ's ongoing work to better deliver to customer needs and improve and modernise its technology, systems, and processes.
The new online tool has been designed to be a more accessible, intuitive, and user-friendly experience for everyone who completes Stats NZ's surveys. It will replace older, less efficient digital tools and paper-based survey forms.
"Stats NZ has heard that surveys can be a burden for small businesses. Our goal is to reduce that burden by making it easier and more straightforward for them to share their information," says Emma Jones, Deputy Government Statistician and Deputy Chief Executive Technology, Operations, Commercial & Collections.
"These online surveys will be easier for businesses to complete, including the ability to save progress and resume filling out survey forms later."
"The recent successful migration of the Quarterly Building Activity Survey to the new tool has been a milestone in Stats NZ's digital modernisation journey - it's given us the opportunity to find good solutions and lay the groundwork for moving more business surveys onto the new platform," says Emma.
Stats NZ's business surveys contribute to statistics and insights about industry and economic trends, production, financial performance, and many other topics. This information is used by government and other groups to make decisions that will help the economy and improve the lives of New Zealanders.
Survey forms for the Labour Cost Index and Business Price Index, two of Stats NZ's priority economic surveys, will be the next to move to the new platform in mid-2026.
Stats NZ will share further updates about the next business surveys to be moved online in the coming months.
"These improvements complement other work we are progressing to enhance the survey experience, including through modernising our systems and expanding our use of the information already collected by government," says Emma.
More information
Press release from Statistics Minister Dr Shane Reti and Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk.
