Consumer Spending

New Estimation Methodology | Information Releases | Publications | Classifications and Standards | Overview Information

Statistics New Zealand has a vast range of information about how New Zealand private households spend their money.

The Household Economic Survey (HES) collects this information from around 3,000 private New Zealand households. The information ranges from household spending on apples to new cars. The Household Economic Survey also provides statistics on selected households and their members, so that spending patterns can be linked to the type of households surveyed. There are about 2,300 expenditure items available. The survey is being redeveloped for 2006/07. See Household Expenditure Survey Redevelopment.

The latest Household Economic Survey tables were released on 12 October 2001. Interviewing for the 2003/04 HES starts from 25 June 2003 and continues until July 2004 with data released late 2004.

An information sheet is available which outlines products and services available from the Household Economic Survey.

This information can be used:

To identify the level of weekly or annual household spending by type of product.
To identify changes in the level of household spending on a product. This can be related to other household variables such as income and household type.
For other uses, including the estimation of the number of households with similar spending profiles. This data can be provided at a national, regional or local level.

For example in the year ended June 2001, housing continued to be the most significant item of household expenditure. For every dollar of household spending, 24 cents was spent on housing.

Commercially, this type of information is of value to marketers and suppliers to a range of industries including building and construction, finance, and real estate industries. Information about how people spend their money can assist in developing business opportunities or growing new markets. It is also useful for people involved in policy and planning roles. Welfare and community organisations can use this information for household budgeting and planning funding strategies.

New Estimation Methodology

A new weighting methodology called integrated weighting has been introduced for 2000/01 and has been applied retrospectively to previous surveys. Updated historic data is available on request from our Information Centre.

Consequently the 2001 results should not be compared to previously published statistics, in particular the Consumer Expenditure Reference Reports and the 1998 or earlier Standard Tables.

The following link contains a description of the integrated weighting methodology and some of the expected impacts on statistical output.

This page last modified on: 16 December 2003