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.
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 Happens When Grocery Bills Jump $3,000 in Four Years?
North Island households now spend $15,462 annually on groceries. up nearly $3,000 since 2020. As RNZ reports soaring bills freezing household spending, the food price data shows exactly where that discretionary income went: straight to the supermarket checkout.
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.
Why Are Courts Hitting Young Offenders With Fewer Fines and Confiscations?
While politicians expand move-on orders and police retreat from hostile crowds, youth courts quietly imposed 20% fewer monetary penalties last year. Fines, confiscations, and disqualifications dropped to their lowest level in a decade.
Self-Employment Income Hit $416 Million While Households Froze Spending on Everything Else
As RNZ reports households putting spending on ice due to soaring bills, self-employment income just posted its strongest growth in years. The contrast tells you exactly who's carrying the economy right now.
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.
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 Records More Than 1,000 Serious Injuries Every Single Day
While dog attacks make headlines, the bigger story is hiding in plain sight. ACC data shows serious non-fatal injuries have climbed to 400,836 in 2024. that's 1,098 Kiwis hurt badly enough to need serious medical intervention every single day.
Youth Court Adult Sentences Doubled After 2021, Then Everyone Stopped Talking About It
While politicians debate car meets and homelessness, Youth Court data reveals adult sentences to young offenders more than doubled from 2021 to 2024. The numbers tell a story nobody's discussing.
Self-Employment Income Hit $416 Million While Households Freeze Spending
As RNZ reports soaring bills forcing Kiwis to cut back, self-employment earnings just reached their highest level on record. The contrast reveals who's winning and losing in this economy.
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.
North Island Grocery Bills Hit $15,462 a Year While Reserve Bank Begs Businesses Not to Raise Prices
The Reserve Bank is warning businesses against passing on costs. Meanwhile, North Island food prices just hit a record high - again. The contrast tells you everything about who's actually bearing the burden.
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.
What Changed in Youth Court When Education Orders Suddenly Doubled?
While politicians debate move-on orders for homeless youth, Youth Court data shows a quiet shift: judges are ordering twice as many young offenders into education and rehab programmes as they did a year ago. The numbers reveal a system trying something different.
New Zealand Started 914,266 Businesses Last Year. That's Fewer Than 2020.
While business groups celebrate the government's apparent retreat on surcharge bans, the number of new businesses launched last year fell to its lowest point since the pandemic. The entrepreneurial boom has gone quiet.
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.
What Happens When a Town's Grocery Data Loses Half Its Numbers Overnight?
Timaru's food price tracking just recorded 7,836. down from 15,445 the year before. It's the lowest figure in 21 years, and it tells us more about how we measure the cost-of-living crisis than the crisis itself.
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.
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.
A New Business Closes Every 63 Seconds in New Zealand Right Now
While the Auckland Business Chamber celebrates stalling surcharge bans, 836,210 businesses died in 2025. That's the highest death toll in 24 years of records, and it's accelerating.
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.
Teenage Workers in New Zealand Are Now Safer Than They've Been in Two Decades
After a dog attack in Timaru made headlines, the injury data for young New Zealanders tells a quieter story: workplace and serious injuries for under-30s have dropped to their lowest level since 2000. This is what happened.
New Zealand Courts Sentenced 1,467 Adults in Youth Court Last Year
Adult sentences in Youth Court have more than doubled since 2019, hitting 1,467 in 2024. While politicians announce homeless move-on orders and debate youth crime, the data shows a quiet explosion in adults being sentenced alongside young offenders.
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.
Rest of South Island Grocery Bills Jumped $383 Last Year Despite Interest Rate Cuts
While the Reserve Bank cut rates and households held their breath, South Island grocery bills climbed another $383 in 2024. Five years of data reveals the unrelenting pressure on regions outside the main centres.
The Workplace Safety Turnaround Nobody Saw Coming for Workers in Their Late Fifties
Serious injuries among 55-59 year olds have fallen by more than half since 2020. This is the safest this age group has been at work in two decades. and it's happening while news headlines focus on dog attacks and food recalls.
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.
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.
What Happened to Half of Timaru's Grocery Spending in a Single Year?
Timaru households spent $15,445 on groceries in 2013. One year later, that number was $7,836. While the rest of New Zealand battles soaring food costs, Timaru's data tells a very different story.
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.
Youth Traffic Offending Just Hit Its Lowest Point in Three Decades
While police retreat from hostile car meets in Taranaki, youth court data tells a different story. Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences among young people have fallen 51% in a year, reaching their lowest level since 1992.
Retail Workers Earned $86 Billion Last Year While Their Bosses Say They Can't Afford to Spend
As retailers blame soaring bills for weak consumer spending, new data shows the sector paid out $86.2 billion in wages last year. up $2.3 billion from 2023. The money's there. It's just not moving.
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 Has More Fatal Workplace Injuries Than Ever. And Nobody's Counting
While a dog attack in Timaru made headlines, 312 fatal workplace injuries happened last year. But a data shift in 2022 means we've lost the ability to track whether work is getting safer or deadlier.
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.
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.
A Tauranga Family Spent $297 on Groceries This Week. That's Normal Now.
The Rest of North Island's grocery bill hit $15,443 last year. Break that down to weekly spending and you see what's really happening to household budgets between Auckland and Wellington.
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.
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.
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.
The Rest of the North Island Spent $15,443 on Groceries Last Year
While households freeze spending on everything else, the one bill that won't budge is the grocery shop. For families outside Auckland and Wellington, that's now a $15,443-a-year cost.
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.
What Happened to the 246 Court Orders That Used to Take Cars and Cash from Young Offenders?
Youth court monetary penalties and confiscation orders dropped 21% last year, falling to their lowest level since the mid-1990s. While politicians debate move-on orders for homelessness, the courts are quietly using their toughest financial penalties less than ever.
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.
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.
One Dog Attack Made News. 400,836 Serious Injuries Didn't.
A single dog attack in Timaru made national headlines today. Meanwhile, ACC data quietly shows New Zealand recorded more than 400,000 serious non-fatal injuries last year. the highest number in 24 years of records.
Youth Drug Offending Collapsed After 2021. Nobody Seems to Have Noticed.
While police retreat from hostile crowds and politicians promise crackdowns, youth court orders for drug offences have fallen 69% in three years. The data tells a story nobody's talking about.
Wholesale Traders Earned $98 Billion Last Year While Shops Say They Can't Afford to Lower Prices
New Zealand's wholesale sector pulled in $98.4 billion in 2024, up $3.7 billion from the year before. Yet retailers claim soaring costs mean they can't pass savings to consumers facing a cost-of-living crisis.
What Happened to Timaru's Grocery Spending in 2014?
Timaru's recorded grocery spending collapsed from $15.4 million to $7.8 million in a single year. The data doesn't explain why half the city's food spending vanished overnight.