WELLINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand household living costs rose 3 percent in the year to the September quarter, easing from a 3.2-percent increase in the year to the June quarter, as higher petrol prices drove inflation, official data showed on Friday.
The increase was mainly driven by a 19.1-percent rise in petrol prices, which accounted for almost one quarter of the increase in average annual household living costs, according to Stats NZ, the national statistics agency.
Electricity prices rose 9.3 percent over the year, while local authority rates increased 6.2 percent, also contributing to higher living costs, Stats NZ said.
Superannuitant households, or households receiving New Zealand's government retirement pension, recorded the highest annual inflation rate at 4 percent, while higher-spending households experienced the lowest annual inflation rate at 2.5 percent among all household groups, it said.
By comparison, consumer price index (CPI) inflation, which measures overall price changes, was 3.7 percent in the year to the September quarter, down from 4.1 percent in the year to the previous quarter, Stats NZ said, adding that falling interest payments helped keep household living-cost inflation below the CPI rate, with interest payments for the average household declining around 10 percent over the year.
Meanwhile, international airfares rose 12.5 percent during the period, mainly due to higher fares to Europe and Asia, the agency said. ■
