The Prices of Goods and Services in New Zealand: An International Comparison

Abstract

This paper analyses the latest (2005) data available from the World Bank’s International Comparison Program (ICP). It assesses the extent to which the prices of goods and services in New Zealand (NZ) differ from those observed in other OECD countries, and Australia in particular. The main objective is to answer the question: “Are the prices of specific goods and services especially high or low in New Zealand by international standards?” The answer appears to be “yes”, leading naturally to the further questions of: “why, and what might the consequences be for prices and productivity in the wider New Zealand economy?”