Early indicators show the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown was softer in Whanganui than it was nationwide, says Economic development agency Whanganui & Partners.
In the March 2020 quarter, national GDP fell 1.6 per cent, according to Statistics New Zealand. It was the first quarterly drop since the December 2010 quarter and the largest fall since March 1991.
The drop in GDP growth was expected by most economists and is expected to be significantly greater in the next quarter, said a Whanganui & Partners spokesperson
Results from the September 2020 quarter, published in December, will offer the most information about New Zealand's recovery, the spokesperson added.
"From the beginning of February through to the first week of June, consumer spend in Whanganui was down by 6.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. Spend in New Zealand as a whole was down 15.9 per cent for that same period."