Wellington, Nov. 17 – Food prices in New Zealand jumped 4.7 % year‑on‑year through October 2025, up from 4.1 % through September, local media reported Monday. The growth was led by grocery staples, rising 4.9 %, and a sharp jump in meat, poultry and fish – up 7.6 % annually, Stats NZ said.
Key price rises included milk (up 13.5 %), instant coffee (up 25.5 %), cheese (up 30.1 %) and fresh eggs (up 18.5 %). “Morning coffee and eggs are becoming more expensive,” said Stats NZ spokesperson Nicola Growden.
October saw a slight dip in grocery costs, falling 0.3 % versus September, thanks to a 10.7 % drop in vegetable prices – the biggest monthly fall since November 2021.
Energy costs kept climbing. Electricity rose 11.8 % and gas 14.4 % over the past 12 months, with October seeing 0.5 % and 1.9 % monthly increases. This marks the 11th month in a row of utility price rises, according to Stats NZ.
For households, the cost of living climbed 2.4 % in the 12 months to September 2025, the latest stats show. That figure is slightly below the 3 % Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation over the same period. The gap largely reflects a 15.4 % fall in mortgage interest payments, which are included in household living‑cost indexes (HLPIs) but not the CPI.
HLPIs cover 13 household groups, while the CPI measures overall inflation and guides monetary policy. Mortgage interest cuts benefit high‑spending households, which recorded only 0.8 % annual inflation. In contrast, pensioners see higher inflation at 3.9 % because most own homes outright.
Electricity costs jumped 11.3 % in the year to September, hitting low‑spending households hardest – they spent 19 % of their budgets on energy, contributing most of their 4 % inflation. Rent rose 2.6 % in the same period, weighing more heavily on renters, who pay about 30 % of their household bills, compared with 13.1 % on average and 5.1 % for the wealthiest households.
These data underline the pressures on New Zealand consumers, from rising food staples to higher energy bills and changing mortgage costs.
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