MFAT Released Five OIA Responses Last Week. Three Were Identical.
While households freeze spending on soaring bills, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade just published nine OIA responses. Five were duplicates. This is what government transparency looks like in 2025.
Youth Sexual Assault Charges Dropped 18% Last Year to Lowest Level Since 1999
While politicians announce new move-on orders and police retreat from hostile crowds, Youth Court data shows charges for sexual assault and related offences fell to 351 in 2024. It's the steepest single-year drop in a decade.
New Zealand's Fatal Workplace Injuries Stayed Flat While Serious Injuries Vanished
Three hundred and twelve workers died on the job last year, almost identical to 2023. But the data holds a puzzle: where did 60,000 serious injuries go between 2021 and 2022?
A Rotorua Family Spends $297 on Groceries This Week. That's $59 More Than 2020.
While RNZ reports households are freezing spending as bills soar, new Stats NZ data shows the Rest of North Island grocery bill hit $15,443 in 2024. That's a family spending an extra $57 every single week compared to four years ago.
New Zealand Shed 1.1 Million Jobs While Businesses Lobby to Keep Surcharges
The employee count dropped from 50 million to 49 million in a single year. the first decline since COVID. It happened while the Auckland Business Chamber celebrated stalling government efforts to ban payment surcharges.
Why Is the Government Tendering Three Thousand Contracts in Auckland Alone?
While the government announces homeless move-on orders for town centres nationwide, procurement data reveals Auckland received 2,938 tender opportunities last year. That's more than Canterbury, Wellington, and Waikato combined.
What Happened to the 192 Young Offenders Who Vanished from Youth Court?
While the government announces move-on orders for homeless people, Youth Court data shows a quiet collapse: offences against government operations dropped from 300 to 108 in five years. Nobody's talking about it.
32,916 Māori Were Seriously Injured Last Year. That's Half What It Was Four Years Ago.
While a single dog attack in Timaru made headlines, ACC recorded 32,916 serious injuries to Māori workers and citizens in 2024. The number has plummeted from 72,756 in 2020, but what's driving the drop remains unclear.
Wanganui's Grocery Data Collapsed by Half in a Single Year. Here's What Went Wrong.
Between 2013 and 2014, Wanganui's recorded grocery spending dropped from $15,641 to $7,798. a 50% plunge that has nothing to do with cheaper food and everything to do with broken data collection.
Wholesale Traders Just Earned $98 Billion While Retail Takes the Blame for High Prices
As households cut spending because bills are soaring, wholesale trade earnings hit a record $98.4 billion in 2024. That's $18 billion more than retailers made, yet nobody's talking about the middlemen.
Which Regions Are Government Departments Actually Spending Money In?
While ministers announce national policies, procurement data shows where the money actually flows. Auckland and Canterbury dominate government spending, but the gap to everywhere else tells a different story about regional investment.
Youth Court Sexual Assault Orders Fell 28% in a Year Nobody's Talking About
While police retreat from hostile crowds and politicians announce crackdowns, youth court orders for sexual assault and related offences dropped to their lowest point in a decade. Here's what 32 years of data actually shows.
What Happened to Young New Zealanders Getting Hurt at Work?
While news cycles focus on dog attacks and food recalls, something remarkable is happening beneath the radar: serious workplace injuries to 15-29 year olds have fallen 63% since 2020. The question nobody's asking is why.
Auckland Grocery Bills Rose $197 Last Year. That's the Slowest Growth Since 2021.
Everyone knows food prices are high. But the data shows something unexpected: the annual increase just hit its lowest point in three years. Here's what changed.
836,000 New Zealand Businesses Died Last Year. That's One Every 38 Seconds.
While Hicks Bay businesses fight to survive road closures and Auckland retailers battle surcharge bans, the national picture is brutal: business deaths hit a record high in 2025, up 40% in just three years.
Where Does Your Council Send Its Money When It Needs Something Built?
As the government announces sweeping homeless move-on orders for every town centre in the country, here's who's actually getting paid to deliver the infrastructure, services, and buildings those towns run on.
Youth Charged With Resisting Arrest Fell 90% While Politicians Expand Move-On Orders
The same week the government rolled out homeless move-on orders nationwide, youth court data shows charges for defying police dropped from 453 in 2020 to just 108 in 2024. The crackdown expands as the problem disappears.
What Happened in 2022 That Made Young Workers 63% Safer?
Between 2021 and 2022, serious injuries to workers aged 15-29 fell from nearly 30,000 to just over 12,000. The drop continued in 2023 and 2024. Something structural changed, and nobody's talking about it.
The Rest of the South Island Just Had Its Quietest Year for Price Growth Since 2020
While RNZ reports households freezing spending under soaring bills, data shows the Rest of South Island's grocery inflation slowed to just 1.6% last year. That's the smallest annual jump since the pandemic started.
Wellington's Taxable Income Flatlined While Housing Costs Soared
Wellington's total taxable income barely budged in 2024, growing just $900 after a year of rising power bills and grocery prices. The region that approved a controversial high-rise this week hasn't seen meaningful income growth in two years.
Youth Court Sexual Assault Cases Drop to Lowest Level Since Records Began
While government announces new homeless move-on orders nationwide, youth court data reveals sexual assault and related offences have plummeted 28% in four years to the lowest point in three decades.
Nearly 10,000 Kiwis Developed Compression Syndrome at Work Last Year
While the country debates dog attacks and food safety, a quieter crisis is crushing the hands, wrists, and arms of nearly 10,000 New Zealand workers. It's the worst it's been in 15 years.
A South Island Household Spent $294 on Groceries This Week. Ten Years Ago It Was $180.
South Island grocery bills have climbed 63% in a decade, hitting $15,305 annually in 2024. The weekly reality: $294 at the checkout, up from $180 in 2014, as households freeze spending everywhere else.
Retail Workers Earned $86 Billion Last Year While Their Employers Begged You to Keep Spending
RNZ reports household spending is frozen as bills soar. But retail sector wages just hit a record $86.2 billion. up $15 billion since the pandemic started. Here's the uncomfortable question nobody's asking.
Adult Sentences in Youth Court Rose 111% Since 2019. Then Fell. Here's What Changed.
While police retreat from hostile crowds at car meets, the data tells a different story about young offenders. Adult sentences handed down in youth courts spiked during the pandemic, but have now started to drop.
Compression Syndrome Cases Just Hit a 15-Year High. Nobody's Talking About It.
While dog attacks and food recalls grab headlines, 9,768 New Zealand workers developed compression syndrome in 2024. That's the highest level since 2009, and it's happening quietly, one desk job at a time.
The Rest of the South Island Just Had Its Quietest Year for Grocery Price Growth Since the Pandemic
While RNZ reports households freezing spending amid soaring bills, one corner of New Zealand saw grocery costs rise by just $248 last year. It's the slowest growth the Rest of South Island has seen in four years.
Self-Employment Income Hit $416 Million While Households Froze Spending
As RNZ reports soaring bills forcing households to cut back, self-employed Kiwis collectively earned a record $416.5 million in 2024. The gap between what sole traders are making and what families can afford to spend has never been wider.
Why Did Courts Triple Education Orders for Young Offenders in One Year?
While the government rolls out move-on orders for homeless people in town centres, Youth Court data shows a dramatic shift in how we're dealing with young offenders. Education and rehab programmes just surged 75% in a single year.
A Dog Attack in Timaru. 1,098 New Zealanders Injured Every Day.
While media reports individual incidents, ACC data reveals the scale nobody's tracking: more than 400,000 serious non-fatal injuries in 2024. That's a new record, and it's been climbing for five straight years.
How Did North Island Families Spend an Extra $3,000 on Groceries in Four Years?
The average North Island household spent $15,462 on food last year. That's $2,872 more than in 2020. Where did that money come from, and what else could families have bought instead?
Wellington Workers Earned $3.9 Billion Last Year While Rent Eats Paycheques Faster Than Wages Grow
Wellington's taxable income hit $3.9 billion in 2024, barely budging from 2023. Meanwhile, households are cutting spending as bills soar. The capital's income growth has stalled just as the cost of living accelerated.
Youth Drug Offences Fell 50% in Two Years Then Politicians Started Talking Tougher
Illicit drug charges against young people dropped from 156 in 2021 to just 48 by 2024. The numbers collapsed right as the law-and-order rhetoric ramped up.
Compression Syndrome Cases Hit 15-Year High While Serious Injuries Vanish
While total serious workplace injuries have plummeted, one specific injury type. compression syndrome from repetitive strain. just reached its highest level since 2009. Nearly 10,000 Kiwis developed it last year.
Auckland Households Now Spend $15,553 on Groceries Every Year
While RNZ reports households freezing spending, the data shows where the money's actually going: Auckland families are dropping $300 a week on food alone. That's $2,800 more than five years ago.
New Zealand Created 914,266 Businesses Last Year. That's the Fewest Since COVID.
While the Auckland Business Chamber celebrates stalled surcharge bans, business formation has collapsed to its lowest point in five years. The 2025 data tells the story of an economy that's stopped betting on itself.
Youth Court Orders for Defying Police and Resisting Arrest Fell 95% Since 2020
While Taranaki police retreat from hostile car meets, youth court data shows a different story. Orders for offences against justice procedures dropped from 453 in 2020 to just 108 last year.
New Zealand's Oldest Workers Are Disappearing from Injury Statistics
While dog attacks and food safety make headlines, ACC data shows serious injuries to workers aged 90+ have plummeted 57% since 2021. The number has stayed below 13,000 for three straight years after decades above 28,000.
Rotorua's Grocery Data Just Vanished. Half the City's Food Spending Disappeared in a Year.
Between 2013 and 2014, Rotorua's recorded grocery spending collapsed from $15,317 to $7,683. Either half the city stopped eating, or Stats NZ has a serious data problem.
New Zealand Employed 1 Million Fewer People Last Year Than It Should Have
Employee numbers fell by 1.08 million in 2025, snapping four straight years of growth. It's the first drop since Stats NZ started counting, and it happened while businesses were fighting to keep surcharges and tourist towns were being cut off from customers.
Youth Court Homicide Orders Hit 246 While Government Expands Move-On Powers
As the government rolls out homeless move-on orders nationwide, youth court data shows homicide-related orders reached their highest point in 27 years. The 2024 figure more than doubled from the previous year.
Young New Zealanders Were Getting Hurt at Record Rates. Then Something Changed in 2022.
For two decades, serious injuries to under-30s climbed steadily, peaking at 40,086 in 2021. Then the number suddenly halved. Here's what the 24-year timeline reveals.
A South Island Family's Grocery Bill Rose $241 Last Year. That's $4.63 a Week.
While headlines scream about soaring costs, South Island households saw the slowest grocery price growth in three years. The annual increase? Less than a cup of coffee per week.
New Zealand Lost 251,516 Businesses Last Year. That's 690 Every Single Day.
While the Auckland Business Chamber celebrates stalling surcharge bans, the business landscape is shrinking faster than it has in years. New Zealand ended 2025 with 251,516 fewer business units than it started with.
Why Did Youth Court Rehab Orders Surge 75% in One Year?
While police retreat from hostile crowds and politicians promise crackdowns, Youth Court judges quietly increased education and rehab orders by 75% in 2024. The shift suggests courts are trying a different approach to young offenders.
New Zealand's 55-Year-Olds Got Half as Likely to Be Seriously Injured at Work
In 2020, over 10,000 workers aged 55-59 suffered serious injuries. Four years later, that number has fallen to 4,734. It's the biggest workplace safety improvement for any age group in two decades.
Why Did North Island Grocery Bills Only Rise $156 This Year?
While RNZ reports households freezing spending due to soaring bills, food price data shows the slowest annual grocery increase in five years. The question isn't why bills are rising. It's why they suddenly stopped accelerating.
Wellington's Wage Growth Just Flatlined for the First Time in 24 Years
While developers celebrate new high-rises, the numbers tell a different story: Wellington's taxable income barely moved in 2024, growing just $900 after four years of steady gains. It's the smallest increase in a generation.
Youth Traffic Offences Halved in Four Years While Politicians Warn of Teen Crime Crisis
Traffic and vehicle offences by young people dropped to 189 in 2024, down from 387 in 2020. It's the lowest number in decades, yet the political conversation has moved in the opposite direction.
Why Are Young Kiwis at Work Suddenly So Much Safer?
Serious workplace injuries to 15-29 year olds have plummeted from 29,790 in 2021 to 10,848 in 2024. That's 19,000 fewer young people hurt at work in just three years. What changed?