New Zealand inflation probably slowed markedly in the second quarter as the central bank’s aggressive interest-rate increases began to take their toll.
Consumer prices rose 5.9% from a year earlier, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey of 14 economists. That would be a big drop from 6.7% in the first quarter and the weakest reading since 2021. It would also undershoot the Reserve Bank’s forecast of 6.1%. Statistics New Zealand will publish the data Wednesday in Wellington.
Inflation has been drifting lower after reaching a three-decade high of 7.3% in mid-2022. Economists now expect a sharper decline as petrol prices fall and soaring mortgage rates curb household spending.
Read the full story on Bloomberg here.