NZ: Economic Confidence Index rose - Westpac

The Westpac McDermott Miller Regional Economic Confidence Index for NZ rose in nine out of eleven regions in the March 2018 quarter, notes Paul Clark, Industry Economist at Westpac.

Key Quotes

“Households in Auckland remain the most negative about their region’s economic prospects. Meanwhile, those in Wellington were the most optimistic.”

“Confidence in some rural regions was affected by severe weather events, which impacted agricultural production and other aspects of the economy.”

“Separately, consumer confidence (a measure of households’ views of their own economic conditions) increased in nine of eleven regions.”