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The 2025 PISA results show New Zealand students’ achievement stabilizing after previous declines, with rankings above the OECD average in reading, science, and mathematics, and notable strengths in computational problem-solving. Positive trends include a narrowed achievement gap, increased student effort, and greater appreciation of school relevance, though participation rates were low, potentially skewing results. Education Minister Erica Stanford emphasizes the importance of international assessments and data-driven improvements, supported by new legislation mandating school participation to better inform education policy.
New Zealand has launched a joint programme by Stats NZ and the Office for Rural Communities to enhance rural data and better represent rural families, communities, and businesses in official statistics. This initiative aims to improve analysis methods, support informed policy decisions on infrastructure and services, and modernize the Integrated Data Infrastructure with significant government funding. The programme will reclassify 400,000 people as rural, strengthening the evidence base to support rural communities' economic contributions and future development.
New Zealand will begin releasing monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from July 2027, providing more timely inflation information alongside the existing quarterly reports to enhance economic decision-making. This phased transition aims to maintain data quality and trust while offering frequent updates to households, businesses, and government agencies. Preliminary monthly reports will be published in May and June 2027, with regular monthly and quarterly CPI releases starting in August 2027.
The Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill, introduced to Parliament on June 16, aims to enhance New Zealand’s environmental reporting by improving data quality, accessibility, and relevance. It proposes changes to reporting content, timeframes, and roles to provide clearer, more meaningful insights into environmental changes and government progress. The Bill seeks to support better transparency, informed policy decisions, and flexible reporting on complex environmental issues, and will now be reviewed by the Environment Select Committee.
The New Zealand Government has introduced legislation to amend the Environmental Reporting Act 2015, aiming to improve data quality, accessibility, and relevance for better environmental decision-making. Changes include reducing the frequency of comprehensive reports, introducing a new priorities report to guide investments, and enhancing the efficiency of the reporting regime. These reforms, supported by a $61 million investment, will provide clearer, evidence-based information to support government, councils, and the science sector in addressing environmental challenges.
New Zealand is investing $57.7 million over four years to modernize its Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), the country's largest research database, to support smarter, evidence-based government decisions. The IDI connects data from various government agencies and organizations to reveal the long-term impacts of policies on New Zealanders, ensuring resources are allocated effectively. Upgrading the outdated technology will enhance data accuracy and accessibility, enabling better social services and outcomes for current and future generations.
Term 1 2026 school attendance rates increased to 68.6%, the highest since 2022, reflecting a 2.7 percentage point rise from 2025 and significant improvement since 2022’s 46.5%. The government has implemented mandatory attendance management plans with escalating interventions for absences, supported by $140 million funding to improve attendance and accountability in frontline services. Higher attendance is linked to better educational and life outcomes, with Central and East Auckland showing the highest regular attendance rates.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour reports that charter schools, which opened in 2025, have shown promising attendance rates slightly above state schools, with some schools significantly improving attendance among students facing educational challenges. Charter schools receive greater autonomy and funding flexibility but must meet minimum attendance standards based on their equity index, with ongoing monitoring and potential intervention by the Authorisation Board if standards are not met. The government aims for 80% regular attendance, emphasizing accountability to ensure more children attend school, learn, and succeed.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour highlights that Term 4 2025 saw the highest regular school attendance rates since 2022, with 57.3% of students attending at least 90% of the term, reflecting a steady upward trend driven by government initiatives and increased parental involvement. Regional attendance rates were highest in Central and East Auckland at 62.6%, and schools are now required to implement attendance management plans with escalating interventions for absences, supported by improved frontline services and $140 million in additional funding over four years. Seymour emphasizes that regular attendance is crucial for positive educational and life outcomes, and early Term 1 data indicates the positive trend is continuing.
New Zealand has passed the Data and Statistics (Census) Amendment Bill to transition from a five-yearly census to an annual approach using existing government data, a smaller survey, and targeted collection, starting in 2030. This change addresses rising costs, declining response rates, and disruptions, ensuring more timely and accurate population data essential for planning public services. Additionally, the legislation modifies electoral boundary reviews to occur after every second general election instead of after every census, maintaining regularity while reflecting population changes.
The New Zealand Government is launching Open Electricity to help households and small businesses easily compare and choose the best power plans, enhancing competition and transparency in the electricity market. This initiative, following Open Banking regulations, will provide secure access to individual electricity consumption data, enabling consumers to optimize energy use, save money, and make informed decisions about energy-related investments. Changes will begin in September 2024 and be completed by mid-2027, benefiting around two million households and 165,000 small businesses with improved choice, innovation, and cost savings.
Open banking officially launched in New Zealand on 1 December 2025, enabling faster loan approvals, easier bill management, and personalized budgeting through secure, regulated sharing of financial data with customer consent. The new system, regulated under the Customer and Product Data Act 2025, requires major banks to implement open banking capabilities and mandates accreditation for third-party data requestors to ensure security and trust. This initiative aims to boost innovation and competition in the banking sector, benefiting consumers, small businesses, and fintech companies by providing enhanced financial tools and services.
Cyber Smart Week, organized by the National Cyber Security Centre, aims to raise awareness about cyber security threats in New Zealand, highlighting the gap between perception and action. The initiative includes tools like How Exposed Am I? to help individuals assess and improve their online security practices. Additionally, the government's efforts, including the All of Government Digital Portfolio, focus on enhancing cybersecurity standards and efficiency across public sector agencies to build a more secure digital environment for all New Zealanders.
The Government's mandate of structured literacy is positively impacting reading achievement nationwide, according to Education Minister Erica Stanford. All primary schools now teach structured literacy and the new English curriculum, with new entrants undergoing a phonics check after 20 weeks to assess reading progress. Phonics data shows a significant increase in reading success, with improvements seen across the country, leading to a reduction in students needing targeted support and notable advancements in Māori and Pacific student achievement.