Household borrowing up

New Zealand household borrowing rose slightly last month as demand for housing credit offset a drop in consumer-related financing, says the Reserve Bank. Seasonally adjusted household borrowing rose by 0.1 per cent to $180 billion after a rise of 0.1 per cent in February.

Housing-related borrowing rose 3.3 per cent from a year earlier, while consumer borrowing fell 4 per cent.