In a sharp turnaround, consumer confidence in New Zealand has risen from the lowest in Asia/Pacific six months ago to its highest point in the past two years, according to a new survey.The latest MasterCard Worldwide Index of Consumer Confidence shows the
In a sharp turnaround, consumer confidence in New Zealand has risen from the lowest in Asia/Pacific six months ago to its highest point in the past two years, according to a new survey.
The latest MasterCard Worldwide Index of Consumer Confidence shows the country’s rating has risen from 21.5 to 69.7 over the past six months.
Under the index, a score of zero is the most pessimistic, while 100 is the most optimistic result.
The last rating put New Zealand squarely at the bottom of the Asia/Pacific region, joining Japan as the least optimistic country.
But MasterCard Worldwide New Zealand country manager Stuart McKinlay said New Zealanders were now in a positive frame of mind about the coming six months, following a global trend that has seen 21 of the 24 markets polled reflecting positive consumer sentiment.
The latest twice-yearly report showed New Zealanders were optimistic across all of the five economic factors surveyed.
“This proves that kiwis are a resilient bunch, having bounced back quickly from low consumer confidence scores of the past and getting on with business,” said Mr. McKinlay.
About 38% of New Zealand respondents believe the employment situation will get better in the next six months and 48% believe that the economy will improve in that same time frame.
New Zealand men were more optimistic than women about the coming six months while Aucklanders were more confident than those in Wellington (66.7).
