Inflation New Zealand 1997

Average inflation: 1.2%

Current Inflation

Inflation is low at 1.2%, below the ECB target of 2%.

Peak and Trough

The highest inflation was in March at 1.8%. The lowest inflation was in December at 0.8%.

Highest month
March: 1.8%
Lowest month
December: 0.8%
Difference
1.0 percentage points
Months with data
4 of 12

Category Insights

The highest price increase was in Energy with an average of 2.2%. The lowest price increase was in Core inflation with an average of 0.9%.

Highest increase
Energy: 2.2%
Lowest increase
Core inflation: 0.9%

Historical Context

Current inflation is 0.9% lower than the 5-year average of 2.1%.

5-year average
2.1%
10-year average
3.2%
All-time high (1980)
17.2%
All-time low (1992)
1%

Trend

Inflation shows a downward trend. Compared to 1996, inflation has fallen by +1.1 percentage point.

Change vs. previous year
-1.1 percentage points
Largest monthly swing
December: -1.8 percentage points

ECB Target

Inflation is 0.8% below the ECB target of 2.0%. Too low inflation may indicate economic weakness.

Purchasing Power

At this inflation rate, purchasing power gradually decreases. The impact on daily expenses is relatively limited.

What you could buy for €100 this year will cost approximately €101.20 next year at this inflation rate.

Multi-year trend

Monthly figures 1997

Inflation by category

Food
2.2%
+1.0vs avg.
More details →
Energy
2.2%
+1.0vs avg.
More details →
Core inflation
0.9%
-0.3vs avg.
More details →

Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.

Month overview

Month Inflation Difference vs. 1996
March 1.8% -0.4
June 1.1% -0.9
September 1.0% -1.4
December 0.8% -1.8
Average 1.2%

Data source

Data from WorldBank. Last updated: 04/01/2026.

See also