Stats NZ’s Selected Price Indexes release on 18 September tracked monthly and annual movements in prices for selected goods and services purchased by households. The food group rose 0.3% from July and 1.9% from August 2025. Fruit and vegetable prices were down 1.6% over the year, while meat, poultry and fish rose 3.4%. Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food increased 3.2%. The series provides monthly and annual comparisons but is not the complete consumer price index; it follows selected price items only.

Within transport, petrol prices rose 2.0% in the month and 17.9% over the year; diesel increased 8.6% monthly and 45.8% annually. Electricity was up 9.0% over the year and gas 11.0%. In contrast, domestic accommodation prices fell 5.5% in August and international accommodation fell 6.3%. Airfares moved in different directions: domestic air transport declined 10.9% for the month, while international air transport rose 4.3%. The selected indexes help show price pressure in specific items, but they cannot replace the broader inflation rate, which reflects the full household basket and its weighting.