New Zealand Consumer Confidence Up Marginally As Unemployment Hits 27-Year Low
| Article No. 632 -
April 13, 2007 |
In early April, the Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence rating is 130.5, up 0.8 points from the mid March rating of 129.7 and 6.2 points above the April average of 124.3.
Currently, 54% (up 4%) of the New Zealand population aged 14 and over think the country as a whole will enjoy continuous good times over the next five years, while 20% (down 2%) think there will be bad times.
Sixty-one per cent (up 4%) of New Zealanders think now is a good time to buy major household items, while 21% (down 1%) think now is a bad time to buy.
Less than half (47%, up 2%) of New Zealanders expect good times financially over the next 12 months compared to 26% (unchanged) who think there will be bad times.
However, 57% (down 2%) of New Zealanders believe they and their family will be better off financially this time next year, while 15% (up 2%) think they will be worse off.
Forty-one per cent (down 2%) of New Zealanders say they and their family are better off financially now than they were at this time last year, while 25% (up 2%) think they are now worse off.
Gary Morgan says:
“The latest Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating shows confidence in the New Zealand economy to be marginally increasing, due at least in part to unemployment hitting a new 27-year low.
However, with inflation remaining stubbornly high, the Reserve Bank will likely raise interest rates again, which will add downward pressure to consumer confidence.”
The Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating was conducted from March 19 - April 2, 2007, across New Zealand by telephone with a cross section of 1,092 people aged 14 and over.
For further information:
Gary Morgan: Office +61 3 9224 5213 Mobile +61 411 129 094 Home +61 3 9419 3242
Michele Levine: Office +61 3 9224 5215 Mobile +61 411 129 093 Home +61 3 9817 3066

ROY MORGAN CONSUMER CONFIDENCE RATING
|
Monthly Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating Figures |
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Yearly |
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Year |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct# |
Nov |
Dec |
Average |
|
2004 |
135.7 |
131.7 |
130.2 |
133.5 |
129.8 |
130 |
134.4 |
132.9 |
133.9 |
135.4 |
135 |
136.1 |
133.2 |
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| |
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Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
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| 2005 |
140.9 |
139.1 |
136 |
125.2 |
125.5 |
128 |
127.7 |
125.6 |
126.2 |
121.4 |
121.3 |
121.4 |
119.8 |
121.1 |
117.5 |
128 |
| |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
|
| 2006 |
118.3 |
123 |
111 |
115 |
115.1 |
116.5 |
115.7 |
116.7 |
104.8 |
112.5 |
110.8 |
114 |
115.4 |
118.8 |
112.1 |
113.3 |
115.5 |
123.8 |
123.4 |
124.8 |
124.0 |
123.3 |
128.2 |
127.8 |
117.7 |
| 2007 |
^ |
136.8 |
133.8 |
133.7 |
128.8 |
129.7 |
130.5 |
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132.2 |
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Monthly Average |
130.9 |
127.4 |
126.1 |
124.3 |
118.2 |
120.7 |
124.1 |
121.0 |
124.9 |
125.3 |
124.7 |
126.1 |
127.8 |
# The Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating was measured twice a month from October 2005.
^ There was only one January 2007 Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating.
Results for the Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating* for the component questions for 2006:
| |
|
2006 |
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|
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
July |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| |
|
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
| Interviews |
|
917 |
976 |
968 |
958 |
985 |
959 |
944 |
953 |
995 |
984 |
985 |
992 |
977 |
983 |
997 |
995 |
945 |
992 |
940 |
969 |
897 |
992 |
949 |
949 |
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Q1 Would you say you and your family are better-off financially or worse off than you were at this time last year? |
|
Over the past year |
Better off |
39 |
42 |
41 |
36 |
40 |
39 |
38 |
40 |
36 |
36 |
37 |
36 |
36 |
39 |
41 |
40 |
38 |
44 |
42 |
44 |
39 |
38 |
41 |
41 |
|
|
Worse off |
25 |
22 |
25 |
26 |
28 |
30 |
25 |
27 |
35 |
32 |
33 |
32 |
30 |
29 |
32 |
32 |
32 |
27 |
28 |
26 |
27 |
27 |
25 |
26 |
|
|
Question 1 difference |
14 |
20 |
16 |
10 |
12 |
9 |
13 |
13 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
10 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
17 |
14 |
18 |
12 |
11 |
16 |
15 |
|
Q2 This time next year, do you and your family expect to be better-off financially or worse off than you are now? |
| |
Better off |
51 |
56 |
51 |
49 |
52 |
52 |
53 |
56 |
47 |
49 |
48 |
49 |
51 |
51 |
50 |
49 |
49 |
56 |
56 |
54 |
55 |
55 |
56 |
54 |
| |
Worse off |
18 |
18 |
20 |
18 |
20 |
20 |
17 |
16 |
28 |
24 |
23 |
22 |
22 |
18 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
18 |
17 |
16 |
16 |
16 |
14 |
16 |
|
|
Question 2 difference |
33 |
38 |
31 |
31 |
32 |
32 |
36 |
40 |
19 |
25 |
25 |
27 |
29 |
33 |
28 |
27 |
27 |
38 |
39 |
38 |
39 |
39 |
42 |
38 |
|
Q3 Thinking of economic conditions in New Zealand as a whole. In the next 12 months, do you expect we’ll have good times financially, bad times or some good and some bad? |
| |
Good Times |
34 |
36 |
25 |
30 |
33 |
35 |
31 |
30 |
27 |
31 |
33 |
32 |
35 |
36 |
32 |
32 |
36 |
39 |
41 |
41 |
45 |
44 |
45 |
45 |
| |
Bad Times |
38 |
36 |
48 |
40 |
42 |
43 |
43 |
41 |
52 |
46 |
46 |
42 |
42 |
37 |
44 |
44 |
39 |
33 |
33 |
28 |
30 |
29 |
23 |
23 |
|
|
Question 3 difference |
-4 |
0 |
-23 |
-10 |
-9 |
-8 |
-12 |
-11 |
-25 |
-15 |
-13 |
-10 |
-7 |
-1 |
-12 |
-12 |
-3 |
6 |
8 |
13 |
15 |
15 |
22 |
22 |
|
Q4 Looking ahead, what would you say it is more likely, that in New Zealand as a whole, we’ll have continuous good times during the next 5 years of so — or we’ll have bad times — or some good and some bad? |
| |
Good times |
39 |
45 |
36 |
42 |
40 |
45 |
40 |
42 |
40 |
42 |
42 |
48 |
45 |
46 |
40 |
43 |
45 |
48 |
47 |
46 |
47 |
44 |
47 |
51 |
| |
Bad times |
28 |
26 |
31 |
26 |
29 |
28 |
30 |
27 |
35 |
29 |
35 |
28 |
26 |
22 |
32 |
29 |
26 |
22 |
27 |
27 |
26 |
27 |
21 |
20 |
|
|
Question 4 difference |
11 |
19 |
5 |
16 |
11 |
17 |
10 |
15 |
5 |
13 |
7 |
20 |
19 |
24 |
8 |
14 |
19 |
26 |
20 |
19 |
21 |
17 |
26 |
31 |
|
Q5 Generally, do you think now is a good time — or a bad time — for people to buy major household items? |
| |
Good time to buy |
61 |
62 |
54 |
55 |
57 |
60 |
58 |
55 |
54 |
59 |
58 |
57 |
56 |
54 |
54 |
55 |
55 |
57 |
57 |
58 |
56 |
57 |
57 |
59 |
| |
Bad time to buy |
24 |
24 |
28 |
27 |
27 |
28 |
26 |
28 |
30 |
24 |
27 |
28 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
25 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
22 |
22 |
26 |
|
|
Question 5 difference |
37 |
38 |
26 |
28 |
30 |
32 |
32 |
27 |
24 |
35 |
31 |
29 |
30 |
28 |
28 |
29 |
29 |
32 |
36 |
36 |
33 |
35 |
35 |
33 |
|
Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence |
118.3 |
123 |
111 |
115 |
115.1 |
116.5 |
115.7 |
116.7 |
104.8 |
112.5 |
110.8 |
114 |
115.4 |
118.8 |
112.1 |
113.3 |
115.5 |
123.8 |
123.4 |
124.8 |
124.0 |
123.3 |
128.2 |
127.8 |
Results for the Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating* for the component questions for 2007:
| |
|
2007 |
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Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
July |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| |
|
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
Early |
Mid |
| Interviews |
|
^ |
1,956 |
967 |
990 |
1,080 |
1,092 |
938 |
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|
Q1 Would you say you and your family are better-off financially or worse off than you were at this time last year? |
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Over the past year |
Better off |
^ |
41 |
40 |
44 |
40 |
43 |
41 |
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Worse off |
^ |
21 |
23 |
22 |
26 |
23 |
25 |
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Question 1 difference |
^ |
20 |
17 |
22 |
14 |
20 |
16 |
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Q2 This time next year, do you and your family expect to be better-off financially or worse off than you are now? |
| |
Better off |
^ |
58 |
56 |
56 |
55 |
59 |
57 |
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| |
Worse off |
^ |
12 |
16 |
13 |
15 |
13 |
15 |
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Question 2 difference |
^ |
46 |
40 |
43 |
40 |
46 |
42 |
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|
Q3 Thinking of economic conditions in New Zealand as a whole. In the next 12 months, do you expect we’ll have good times financially, bad times or some good and some bad? |
| |
Good Times |
^ |
52 |
51 |
50 |
48 |
45 |
47 |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Bad Times |
^ |
18 |
20 |
23 |
28 |
26 |
26 |
|
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|
|
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|
|
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|
Question 3 difference |
^ |
34 |
31 |
27 |
20 |
19 |
21 |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q4 Looking ahead, what would you say it is more likely, that in New Zealand as a whole, we’ll have continuous good times during the next 5 years of so — or we’ll have bad times — or some good and some bad? |
| |
Good times |
^ |
52 |
53 |
51 |
49 |
50 |
54 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Bad times |
^ |
17 |
17 |
23 |
23 |
22 |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Question 4 difference |
^ |
35 |
36 |
28 |
26 |
28 |
34 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q5 Generally, do you think now is a good time — or a bad time — for people to buy major household items? |
| |
Good time to buy |
^ |
66 |
64 |
64 |
63 |
57 |
61 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Bad time to buy |
^ |
17 |
19 |
16 |
19 |
22 |
21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Question 5 difference |
^ |
49 |
45 |
48 |
44 |
35 |
40 |
|
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|
|
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Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence |
^ |
136.8 |
133.8 |
133.7 |
128.8 |
129.7 |
130.5 |
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* The Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating is 100.0 plus the simple unweighted average of the difference between the percentage of respondents who give a favourable and those who give unfavourable answers to five key questions.
^ There was only one January 2007 Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. The following table gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall. The figures are approximate and for general guidance only, and assume a simple random sample. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
|
Sample Size |
Percentage Estimate |
| |
40%-60% |
25% or 75% |
10% or 90% |
5% or 95% |
|
1,000 |
±3.2 |
±2.7 |
±1.9 |
±1.4 |
The Morgan Poll is conducted by the ONLY Australian and New Zealand member of the Gallup International Association.
No other public opinion poll taken in Australia or New Zealand has this qualification.
|