Regional Variation in Rental Price Inflation

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26686/pq.v22i2.10729

Keywords:

Rents, Housing costs, Hedonic price index, Regional price variation, Quality-adjusted prices, Double imputation

Abstract

We constructed estimates of rental price inflation for the 53 urban areas of New Zealand over the past 25 years. Our estimates suggest that rental price inflation in many urban areas has been substantial over the past decade. These findings underscore the need for financial resources to be targeted at improving official statistical measures of housing prices at a more geographically refined resolution so that changes in the costs of living for a broader range of New Zealanders can be effectively communicated to the public, policymakers and researchers.

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Author Biographies

Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy, University of Auckland

Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy is an associate professor in the Department of Economics and director of the Economic Policy Centre at the University of Auckland.

Yun So, University of Auckland

Yun So is a research fellow at the Economic Policy Centre at the University of Auckland.

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Published

2026-05-25

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 2 (2026): Policy Quarterly

Section

Articles

License

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