Markets, Mystics & Mayhem podcast: Ep55

Published on 11 November 2025

In part two of our Phillips Curve double-header, we’re diving into inflation—but not in the usual way. This time, we’re looking through the lens of Stats NZ’s Household Living-Costs Price Index, which breaks down inflation across 13 different demographic groups.

It’s unfair. Inflation hurts some more than others

Stats NZ’s Household Living-Costs Price Index, which breaks down inflation across 13 different demographic groups, offers a more detailed view of inflation experiences across Kiwi households. And here’s where it gets interesting, because inflation is hurting some more than others. It's unfair. Households that spend the least are now facing the highest inflation. Followed closely by retirees and beneficiaries. Meanwhile, high-spending and high-income households are seeing much smaller increases in living costs. It’s a reversal of what we saw during the peak of the cost-of-living crisis. And it all comes down to interest rates. Tune in as we unpack the numbers and what it means for Kiwi households.

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