The Data: Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness

Coverage characteristics

The data until September 2008 in this table is sourced from ACNielsen’s Marketscope telephone omnibus survey conducted in the second month of the reference quarter. From December 2008 quarter data is sourced from UMR Research’s nation-wide telephone omnibus survey.

The data includes Median current inflation, Mean current inflation, Net percent expecting higher inflation, Median and Mean expected inflation in 12 months time.

Periodicity

Quarterly

Timeliness

Data is released around the end of the second month of the reference quarter.

Access by the public

Advance release calendar

The “Advance Release Calendar” is updated and released each Friday on the website. This is a long term plan of scheduled releases.

Integrity

Dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including confidentiality of individual responses

On behalf of the Bank, the survey company asks householders three questions relating to their inflation perceptions/expectations.

Provision of information about revisions and advance notice of major changes in methodology

Data is not revised.

A series break occurs at the December 2008 quarter, due to a change in the sample. The UMR Research sample is 750, the ACNielsen sample is 1000. The UMR survey excludes the 15-17 age group, which is included in ACNielsen’s survey.

Quality

Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics

Interviews are carried out by telephone, with one person per household. Telephone numbers are randomly generated within known Telecom ranges. Individual respondent answers are weighted so as to replicate the demographic characteristics of a fully national sample.

Dissemination of statistics that support statistical cross-checks and provide assurance of reasonableness

The Reserve Bank receives a confidential report based on the aggregated responses. Key survey results are published on the RBNZ website.