RBNZ Delivers Third Rate Cut in 2025, Signals Further Easing as Growth Slows

In‍‌ its November 2025 meeting, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) reduced the OCR by 25 basis points to 2.25%, marking the third consecutive rate cut this year. The initiative is intended to support an economy that is losing steam while still keeping inflation in a manageable range. The central bank indicated that if it were necessary to bring inflation closer to the 2% target midpoint over time, further rate reductions would still be possible.

The latest quarter-three CPI is 3.0%, and two-year inflation expectations are at 2.28%, showing that inflation remains stable but at a high level despite the rate cuts. The latest data also indicate that the unemployment rate has increased slightly to 5.3%, thus reinforcing the concerns about the economic softening. The RBNZ’s monetary policy statement mirrors the Reserve Bank's cautious, data-driven approach and it leaves the door open to a mild, gradual easing of the monetary policy continuing until the beginning of 2026, as the economic recovery is still fragile.

Normally, lower interest rates make the New Zealand Dollar lose value as they reduce the yield appeal of the currency to investors. From now on, markets will be very attentive to the RBNZ's revised OCR forecasts and policy indications to figure out the next moves of the currency and the central bank's strategy of dealing with inflation in a fragile‌‍ ‍‌economy.