Wellington, Nov 17 (NationPress) Food prices in New Zealand increased by 4.7 per cent for the year ending October 2025, rising from 4.1 per cent in the year ending September 2025, as reported by local media on Monday.

The grocery food category was the primary contributor to this rise, with an increase of 4.9 per cent, while prices for meat, poultry, and fish surged by 7.6 per cent annually, according to the statistics department's statement.

Significant price increases included milk, which was up 13.5 per cent, instant coffee up 25.5 per cent, cheese up 30.1 per cent, and fresh eggs up 18.5 per cent, as reported by Xinhua News Agency, citing Stats NZ.

"Coffee and eggs lovers might have noticed a spike in their morning costs," stated Nicola Growden, spokesperson for Stats NZ prices and deflators.

Despite this annual rise, food prices saw a decline of 0.3 per cent in October compared to September, mainly due to a 10.7 per cent decrease in vegetable prices, marking the largest monthly drop since November 2021, according to Growden.

Moreover, electricity and gas prices continued their upward trend, increasing by 11.8 per cent and 14.4 per cent respectively over the past 12 months leading up to October 2025, with monthly increases of 0.5 per cent and 1.9 per cent in October, marking the 11th consecutive month of price hikes for both utilities, as stated by Stats NZ.

Earlier in October, Stats NZ reported a 2.4 per cent rise in the cost of living for the average household in New Zealand over the 12 months leading to the September 2025 quarter.

This 2.4 per cent increase, as measured by the household living-costs price indexes (HLPIs), follows a 2.6 per cent rise in the 12 months to the June 2025 quarter, according to the statistics department's statement.

The highest recorded increase was 8.2 per cent in the 12 months to the December 2022 quarter, as reported by Stats NZ.

The 2.4 per cent rise is slightly lower than the 3 per cent inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the same period, with the variance primarily attributed to a 15.4 per cent fall in mortgage interest payments, included in the HLPIs but not in the CPI.

The HLPIs assess the impact of inflation on 13 different household groups, while the CPI gauges inflation across New Zealand, serving as the main metric for monetary policy decisions, according to the statement.

Mortgage interest payments have significantly decreased, benefiting higher-spending households that observed the lowest annual inflation at 0.8 per cent. In contrast, superannuitants faced a higher inflation rate of 3.9 per cent, as most own their homes outright and have minimal mortgage effects, according to Stats NZ.

Electricity prices spiked by 11.3 per cent in the 12 months leading to September 2025, impacting lower-spending households the most and contributing 19 per cent to their 4 per cent inflation rate, it noted.

Rent rose by 2.6 per cent in the 12 months to September 2025, disproportionately affecting beneficiaries, as rent comprises nearly 30 per cent of their household spending, compared to 13.1 per cent for the average household and 5.1 per cent for the highest spenders.