More than half of New Zealanders—55%—identify inflation and the cost of living as the country’s most pressing issue, according to recent findings from Ipsos New Zealand.
The 28th edition of Ipsos New Zealand’s Issues Monitor, which has been conducted annually since 2018, tracks the key issues that matter most to New Zealanders and evaluates which political parties are viewed as best equipped to address them.
The percentage of New Zealanders identifying inflation and the cost of living as key issues has increased by 5 points since the previous survey conducted in February.
Healthcare ranks as the second most important concern, followed by the economy in third place, with both issues experiencing a modest increase of 2 percentage points.
Importance of Issues Varies Across Generations
The survey has found that inflation and the cost of living are the top concerns for New Zealanders aged 18 to 64, whereas those aged 65 and over are considerably less likely to view it as a major issue.
For those aged 65 and above, healthcare continues to be the primary concern. Meanwhile, it ranks third for those aged 18-34 and second for 35-64-year-olds.
Although concern about the economy remains fairly steady across all age groups, unemployment is a notably more important issue for young New Zealanders aged 18-34, with 23% identifying it as a key concern.
Furthermore, right-leaning voters show considerably greater concern for the economy and crime, while left-leaning voters are notably more focused on issues of poverty and inequality.
Kiwis’ assessment of the current coalition government’s performance has also steadied, increasing slightly by 0.1 points to 4.3, with 39% rating it between 0 and 3 out of 10.
Labour is currently viewed as the political party best equipped to address inflation/cost of living, healthcare, and housing, while national is regarded as most capable of managing the economy and crime.
“Despite several reductions in the OCR, New Zealanders are still feeling the impact of high living costs,” Ipsos New Zealand country manager Carin Hercock said.
“This is particularly an issue for young adult New Zealanders who are increasingly concerned about inflation, housing costs and unemployment.”