New Zealand’s consumer price inflation accelerates above expectations in Q1 2017

New Zealand’s consumer price index rose 2.2 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, showed Statistics New Zealand. This is the highest annual rise since the first quarter of September 2011. It is above market expectations of 2 percent. Statistics New Zealand senior manager Jason Attewell stated that increasing prices of petrol along with the annual increase in tax of cigarette and tobacco lifted inflation.

Prices related to housing continued to rise in the quarter, rising 3.3 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, transport prices were up 3.5 percent, the second largest contribution to the inflation, with petrol partly countered by declines in other private transport services. Stripping out cigarettes, petrol and tobacco, the consumer price index rose 1.5 percent year-on-year in the March quarter.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the consumer price index was up 1 percent in the first quarter after a 0.4 percent rise in the fourth quarter of 2016. This is above the market expectations of a rise of 0.8 percent. Adjusting for seasonal effects, consumer price inflation rose 1 percent.

“Higher prices for cigarettes and tobacco, petrol, and fruit were partly offset by lower prices for international air transport, and package holidays,” added Attewell.

Prices for tobacco and cigarette upwardly contributed the most to inflation on a quarter-on-quarter basis, noted Statistics New Zealand.