Statisticians have discovered thousands more children and the elderly living in poverty than have been reported previously.

Rising economic confidence and "aggressive" marketing techniques are seen as the driving factors behind an 8.9 million litre rise in alcohol availability last year.

A hike in rents and the general cost of living are taking the shine off a significant slowdown in rising food prices, a budgeting service says.

New Zealand's unemployment rate fell to a three-year low in the fourth quarter of 2013 as jobs growth beat expectations.

The most favourable terms of trade for 40 years and a $3.1 billion rise in exports to China were not enough to close the trade gap last year.

Forgetfulness, lack of interest and simply not getting around to it have been revealed as the most common reasons for not voting in the past two general elections.

The South Island has had bigger median income gains than the North over the past seven years, Census figures show.

NZ gained a net 3,000 permanent and long-term migrants last month, the most since June 2003.

NZ's unemployment rate slipped to 6.2 per cent in the three months ended September 30 just below the 6.3 per cent forecast.

New Zealand had its highest net gain of migrants in more than 10 years last month, as even fewer Kiwis left for Australia.

The Christchurch population has predictably slumped since the devastating earthquakes, but many people have moved to outlying areas, new census data reveals.

The New Zealand population grew by 214,000 people in the last seven years, census data released today shows.

The long-awaited 2013 Census is expected to reveal that a rampant Auckland has grabbed more people and more power than ever before.

New Zealand gained a seasonally adjusted net 2,100 migrants last month, as fewer Kiwis cross the Tasman.

The economy grew faster than expected in the second three months of the year, as engineering and architecture expansion offset drought impacts.

Almost half of all women and a third of men earn less than $18.40 an hour - a rate which two Labour Party leadership contenders have promised to implement as a "living wage" in the state sector if they win power.

Kiwi expatriates are earning a fortune overseas, and barely one-tenth say they would be comfortable raising a family back home on New Zealand wages.