New Zealand Business Confidence

OECD standardised business confidence indicator (long-term average = 100).

Business Confidence in New Zealand increased to 102.85 points in Sep 2026 from 101.93 points in Aug 2026.

102.85
▲ +0.92Sep 2026 · previous 101.93Monthly · index points · Source: OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

New Zealand Business Confidence — History

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New Zealand Business Confidence — analysis in simple words

Latest reading

Business Confidence in New Zealand increased to 102.85 points in Sep 2026 from 101.93 points in Aug 2026.

It has risen in each of the last three months.

Recent trend

A year earlier (Sep 2025) it was 101.10, so the latest figure is 1.75 higher.

Over the past five years the average was 99.32, with a range from 96.42 to 102.85. The latest value is above that five-year average.

Historical context

This data series starts in Jun 1961 and has 784 monthly observations. The latest reading is higher than 92% of all of them.

The highest value on record is 104.59 (Dec 1972) and the lowest is 96.42 (Dec 2022). The long-run average is 100.00.

Compared with other countries

Among 45 economies with recent data, New Zealand ranks 1st from the top. The median across all these economies is 99.98, so New Zealand is above the typical country.

Within East Asia & Pacific (6 economies with data) it ranks 1st; the regional median is 99.67.

Statistics

Latest
102.85Sep 2026
Previous
101.93
5-year average
99.32
Long-run average
100.00since Jun 1961
All-time high
104.59Dec 1972
All-time low
96.42Dec 2022
Observations
784Monthly

Recent Data

PeriodValueChange
Sep 2026102.85▲ +0.92
Aug 2026101.93▲ +0.85
Jul 2026101.08▲ +0.62
Jun 2026100.45▲ +0.21
May 2026100.25▼ −0.13
Apr 2026100.38▼ −0.45
Mar 2026100.83▼ −0.78
Feb 2026101.61▼ −0.80
Jan 2026102.41▼ −0.40
Dec 2025102.80▲ +0.33
Nov 2025102.47▲ +0.71
Oct 2025101.76▲ +0.65
Sep 2025101.10▲ +0.29
Aug 2025100.81▲ +0.04
Jul 2025100.78▼ −0.06
Jun 2025100.84▼ −0.07
May 2025100.91▼ −0.08
Apr 2025100.99▼ −0.11
Mar 2025101.10▼ −0.16
Feb 2025101.26▼ −0.12
Jan 2025101.38▲ +0.09
Dec 2024101.29▲ +0.47
Nov 2024100.82▲ +0.72
Oct 2024100.11▲ +0.84
Sep 202499.27▲ +0.86
Aug 202498.41▲ +0.75
Jul 202497.66▲ +0.42
Jun 202497.24▼ −0.13
May 202497.38▼ −0.48
Apr 202497.85

Business Confidence — New Zealand vs Peers

Latest available reading for each economy (periods may differ). New Zealand highlighted.

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More New Zealand indicators

GDP Annual Growth Rate2.6%Q2 2026Interest Rate2.75%Sep 2026Inflation Rate4.1%Jun 2026Unemployment Rate5.1%2025Government Debt to GDP54.7%2025Balance of Trade-$3.3B2024Current Account to GDP-3.5%2025GDP$264.1B2025GDP Growth Rate0.25%Q2 2026
New Zealand economy overview →   Business Confidence — all countries →

Understanding Business Confidence — a simple guide

What it measures

The OECD standardised business confidence indicator, based on surveys asking companies about production, orders and stocks.

How it is calculated

Survey answers from businesses are combined and standardised by the OECD so that 100 equals the long-term average.

Simple example

A reading of 101.5 means businesses are somewhat more optimistic than their long-run norm.

▲ When it is high or rising

High confidence often comes before more investment and hiring.

▼ When it is low or falling

Low confidence often comes before cuts in production and investment.

Why it matters for the economy and markets

Confident businesses tend to invest and hire more, so this survey often moves ahead of actual production and employment data.

How to read it

100 is the long-term average. Values above 100 mean companies are more optimistic than usual; below 100, more pessimistic.

What to look at alongside it

Industrial production, PMI-type surveys and the leading indicator.

Key terms

Survey indicator
Based on opinions of managers rather than measured output.

Data source

OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (series OECD business confidence (BCI)), monthly data from Jun 1961 to Sep 2026. Values are shown exactly as published by the source and may be revised later.

How to use the chart

Use the 5Y / 10Y / 25Y / Max buttons to change the time range, or drag the slider under the chart. Hover (or tap) on the line to see the exact value for any period. Dashed lines and hatched bars are IMF projections, not actual data. The “Download CSV” button gives you the full data series.

Frequently asked questions

What is the current business confidence of New Zealand?
New Zealand business confidence was 102.85 in Sep 2026, compared with 101.93 in the previous period, according to OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest and lowest business confidence of New Zealand?
Since Jun 1961, the highest reading was 104.59 (Dec 1972) and the lowest was 96.42 (Dec 2022).
What does business confidence measure?
The OECD standardised business confidence indicator, based on surveys asking companies about production, orders and stocks.

Data are sourced from official international organisations (IMF, World Bank, BIS) and national authorities, and are shown for educational and informational purposes only. They are not investment advice and no recommendation is made. Figures may be revised by the source; IMF figures for the current and future years are projections. This page was last updated on Saturday, October 17, 2026.