The Treasury draws on a wide range of data sources to provide economic reporting, modelling and forecasting to the Government. We use a range of ‘traditional’ economic indicators, as well as less traditional indicators, along with intelligence and feedback from sectors and people in the regions to help inform our understanding and analysis.
Given heightened interest in the Treasury’s economic viewpoint since the onset of the pandemic, the Treasury has increased the frequency of some of its regular data and commentary releases and developed new commentary focused specifically on the impacts of COVID-19 on the economy.
The COVID-19 economic dashboard, introduced on Friday 17 April 2020, provides a range of real-time data designed to aid independent analysis and give businesses a sense of the activity across different parts of the economy. From 31 July 2020 the COVID-19 Economic Dashboard is included as part of the Weekly Economic Update publication.
The New Zealand Activity Index (NZAC), introduced on Friday 30 June 2020 as a new monthly component of the Weekly Economic Update, summarises several monthly indicators of economic activity and is intended to be interpreted as a broad measure of economic activity.
Keep up to date with the Treasury’s economic reporting and economic analysis below.