Households across New Zealand saved more in the June 2025 quarter, as incomes rose faster than spending.

Stats NZ reports household saving lifted to $804 million, up sharply from $149 million in March.

Disposable income climbed 1.9% to $62.8 billion, while spending rose just 0.8% to $62 billion.

The result lifted the household saving ratio to 1.3%.

Stats NZ spokesperson Will Bell said higher dividends and stronger returns for self-employed business owners drove the rise.

“The main drivers of an increase in disposable income this quarter were increases in dividends received by households and self-employed business owners,” he said.

The data also showed total income receivable rose nearly $1 billion, with dividends up 53% and income from the self-employed up 5.2%.

Lower interest rates meant both interest earned and paid fell in the same period.

Bell said the drop in interest reflected lower market rates and a reduced Official Cash Rate.

For families on the Hibiscus Coast, that combination of softer borrowing costs and better returns for small business owners may offer some breathing room after a tight year.

But the national averages mask different realities.

Many Coast households are still balancing rising living costs against only modest income growth.

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