Investment director Mark Lister has warned that New Zealand faces rising inflation pressures in the coming quarters, with oil price spikes yet to fully materialize in official statistics. Writing in the Herald, Lister explains that while the Consumer Price Index serves as New Zealand's key inflation measure, many consumers feel their actual cost of living increases exceed what these official figures suggest.

Lister anticipates that oil-induced pricing pressures will become more evident over the next two quarters, as fuel costs typically flow through to broader consumer prices with a lag. The analysis comes amid growing public skepticism about official inflation data, with many New Zealanders experiencing cost increases that appear to outpace the CPI measurements calculated by Statistics New Zealand.