Our goal is straightforward: better information, delivered in a more frequent and timely way, so people can make informed decisions with confidence.
Read more from our CEO and Government Statistician Colin Lynch.
As the Government Statistician, I'm responsible for the integrity of New Zealand's official statistics, and for making sure they continue to serve the country well.
Every day, New Zealanders rely on official statistics, often without even realising it. They help shape decisions about interest rates, wages, infrastructure, healthcare, housing, transport, education, and investment. Businesses use them to plan and grow. Councils use them to prepare for future demand. Communities use them to understand change. Governments use them to make decisions about where support and services are needed most.
At its heart, our job at Stats NZ is simple: to provide data and insights the people of New Zealand can trust.
The reality is, New Zealand is changing quickly.
Our economy is evolving. Digital services and new technologies are reshaping how we live and work. People also expect more. More up-to-date information, and a clearer picture of what's happening right now, not just what happened in the past.
Official statistics need to keep up, staying relevant and reliable while we adapt to those changes.
That's why Stats NZ is focused on modernising the way we produce and deliver data and insights, while maintaining the quality and independence people expect from official statistics.
A good example is the move to a monthly Consumers Price Index.
Inflation affects every New Zealander. Whether it's groceries, rent, fuel, or mortgage repayments, changes in prices are felt quickly by households and businesses alike. That's why measuring inflation accurately matters.
The CPI is one of the country's most important economic indicators. It is used by the Reserve Bank when making decisions about interest rates and the Official Cash Rate, influencing borrowing costs, savings, and wider economic confidence. It is also widely used across wages, contracts, and business agreements.
Moving to a monthly CPI will provide a more regular and up-to-date picture of how prices are changing across the economy.
Behind the scenes, it represents the biggest change to how inflation is measured in decades. Stats NZ will collect significantly more pricing information, more frequently, using modern methods such as scanner data, direct retailer information, and web-based price collection to improve accuracy while reducing burden on businesses.
A monthly CPI will bring New Zealand into line with many other advanced economies and provide more timely information to support decision-making across government, business, and households.
We're also improving the data behind key measures like GDP and the Balance of Payments and continuing to align with international best practice, so New Zealand's statistics remain robust and comparable.
This work is already underway, and improvements will roll out from next year.
Our goal is straightforward: better information, delivered in a more frequent and timely way, so people can make informed decisions with confidence.
One way we're doing this is by making better use of data that already exists to enhance the broad range of insights we produce. Done carefully, this can reduce the burden on people and businesses, while giving us a more complete picture of New Zealand.
This is a direction many countries are moving in. For us, the focus is on doing it in a way that works for New Zealanders.
Through all of this, one thing doesn't change.
Our trustworthiness sits at the centre of official statistics. People need to know their data is secure, that we handle it properly, and that it's used for the benefit of all New Zealanders.
We also know that data only matters if people can understand it. Clear communication is just as important as technical quality.
There will always be interest in how statistics are produced. That's a good thing. This is a public system, and it should be open to discussion.
Our job is to ensure New Zealand continues to have reliable, high-quality information that supports good decision-making now and into the future.
Because in a changing world, the need for reliable, trusted information only grows.
And better data supports better decisions, for businesses, for communities, and for the country as a whole.
