WELLINGTON, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The consumers price index (CPI), a measure of inflation for New Zealand households, increased 1.5 percent in the September 2019 year, influenced by higher prices for rents, and cigarettes and tobacco, the statistics department Stats NZ said on Wednesday.
This increase was partly offset by decreasing prices for vegetables, petrol, and telecommunications equipment.
In the September 2019 quarter, the CPI rose 0.7 percent, driven by price rises for local authority rates and payments, vegetables, and meat and poultry. This was partly offset by falling prices for fruit, petrol, and new cars.
Various household costs rose over the year to September 2019.
Housing and household utilities increased 3.0 percent, with increases for rents and construction of new homes. Insurance premiums also increased.
"Household costs increased over the past year, although prices for construction of new homes, local authority rates, and insurance increased at a slower rate this year than last year," prices senior manager in Stats NZ Paul Pascoe said.
While the price of dwelling insurance continued to increase, it is lower than the 13 percent annual average of the last two years.
"Higher insurance premiums last year were partly due to an increase in the Fire and Emergency Services levy," Pascoe said.
"This year's increase in local authority rates is slightly less than last year's, but higher than the 4.4 percent annual average over the last five years and over double the rate of general inflation."
Rents increased 2.9 percent for the September 2019 year. This was up from 2.3 percent in the September 2018 year.
