New Zealand: Inflation falls further below Central Bank target
Consumer prices rose 0.1% in Q1 2019 over the previous quarter, matching Q4 2018’s uptick, according to Statistics New Zealand. The print showed that a rebound in prices for food, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco was partially offset by lower prices for transport, telecommunications, and recreation and culture.
Inflation slowed to 1.5% in Q1, after Q4’s 1.9% increase, thus falling further below the Central Bank’s 2.0% target. In contrast, average annual inflation edged up to 1.7% in the first quarter (Q4: 1.6% year-on-year).