With 2004 looming, we decided to take look at the sites that seem to offer the best in economic forecasting and key economic data. There is, perhaps not surprisingly, wide range of economic information on the net. In most cases it is comprehensively analysed, graphed and ready for consumption.
www.stats.govt.nz The Statistics NZ site provides essential data concerning many aspects of New Zealand’s economy, environment and society. In fact the site provides so much information it’ll take you while to familiarise yourself with all the tools and information available. good deal of it is free. It’s usually only when you want specific information – say demographic data on certain locality – that you pay. Census data is available on the site. All data is analysed and provided in either tables or graphs often with written analysis.
www.rbnz.govt.nz The Reserve Bank’s website is another well-resourced government site. From the homepage you can access wide range of economic statistics and currency information. Economic indicators relating to the New Zealand economy are also available – with “quick stats” section providing condensed summary of the most commonly sought economic info.
www.treasury.govt.nz For an overview of current government economic and fiscal policy head for the Treasury site. Treasury publishes monthly “Tax Outturn Data” which can be used as an early indication of economic activity. Other monthly economic indicators are also available. The site contains links to both the Stats NZ and Reserve Bank websites as well as important international sites such as the OECD, the IMF, APEC, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
www.nationalbank.co.nz The National Bank provides interest rate graphs, exchange rate graphs, information about financial markets and another helpful service it calls the “Small Business Monitor”. The Monitor analyses how economic trends and other factors are impacting the small business sector and this data is released quarterly. The site also includes “Leading Index”, which provides prediction of quarterly changes in production based GDP for up to year ahead.
www.westpac.co.nz Westpac provides “Business resource centre” on its site which includes the usual economic data, exchange rates etc that you might expect bank to provide. It also includes the “NZ Weekly Commentary”, newsletter which provides fairly comprehensive look at important economic and financial events and news from around New Zealand and the globe.
www.nzier.org.nz Last on the list is the Institute of Economic Research site, which includes the Institute’s “Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion,” members-only service with non-members only able to gain access to an overview of the survey’s key findings. There is coverage of the Institute’s quarterly economic predictions and forecasting. There are also number of reports and papers made available from the Institute’s research activities, and useful overview of basic economic theory for the economic novice.
