New Zealanders’ top two emotions continue to be happy and relaxed. However, when looking at the last couple months, there was a significant drop in “Happy/Joyful” (-7pp) and “Optimistic” (-10pp), both reversing the steady climb we’d seen since June. The drop in happiness was driven mostly by women (-12pp from Aug–Oct compared to -3pp for men), while the drop in optimism was largely driven by men (-21pp vs. no change for women).

In October those aged 18–34 were the most likely to have felt happy/joyful (61% vs. 46% for those 65+) but they also reported higher levels of stress (49% vs. 30%) and anxiety (43% vs. 21%). Conversely, older New Zealanders were the most likely to feel relaxed (62% compared to 46% among 18–34-year-olds).

• Happy/Joyful: hit a high in August (59%) but dropped sharply in September (51%).
• Relaxed: held steady around 48%.
• Frustrated: spiked in August (43%) and eased slightly since (42%).
• Stressed: increased in August (44%), dipped a bit in September (41%), and has held steady.
• Optimistic: took a big hit, falling from 49% in August to 39% in October.
• Motivated: jumped in August (35% → 41%) but slipped back to 39%.
• Anxious: has eased slightly, down 3pp since August.

Majority of New Zealanders remain negative about the direction the country is headed (62%), with this proportion increasing since June. In October, only 38% feel things are going in the right direction – the lowest we’ve seen since September 2023 (35%). 

In October, no significant differences are seen by gender, age, region, or household makeup. However, we do see a significant difference when looking at this by ethnicity, with 84% of Māori expressing New Zealand is heading in the wrong direction compared to 62% of New Zealand Europeans. This notable difference has been consistent since August. 

What's driving WRONG direction sentiment?

Concerns over healthcare have come back up since the drop in July (59%), remaining as the top concern, with 65% feeling it is heading the wrong way in October. This negative sentiment is mainly driven by women (68% vs. 63% of men), and those aged 45-64 (77% vs. 47% 18–34 years).

The next biggest areas of concern are New Zealand’s leadership and politics and the economy, with both showing 58% in the wrong direction in October. Concerns over both issues are strongest among those aged 45–64 years (66% leadership, 65% economy wrong direction) and Māori (78% leadership, 74% economy wrong direction).

The country’s crime and punishment has remained stable since July, with 52% of Kiwis expressing it’s headed in the wrong direction. Interestingly though, New Zealand’s infrastructure has overtaken the environment, making this the fifth cause of concern for the past three months, with concerns around the environment decreasing since July. 

What's driving RIGHT direction sentiment?

New Zealanders’ personal lives continue to be the number one thing that is going in the right direction despite its softening during the past few months (71%). Those at both ends of the age spectrum remain the most positive (74% 18–34s, 80% 65+ years). Regionally, those in the North Island are more likely to say their personal lives are headed in the right direction, with 75% expressing this compared to 56% of South Islanders.

Positively, New Zealanders’ beliefs around their financial situation have recovered after a downward trend from June to September. In contrast, perceptions around New Zealand’s relationship with other countries have been worsening since June (-9pp). 

Kiwis’ finances are recovering

We’ve seen positive shifts in New Zealanders’ finances with the proportion of Kiwis saving to achieve future goals/wealth recovering after a dip in August (+6pp). This corresponded with a decrease in those whose income only covers the essentials (-3pp since August) as well as those saving money simply for emergencies (-3pp since August). 

In October, women were more likely to have their income cover the essentials (36% vs. 26% for men) while men where more likely to save for emergencies (39% vs. 31% for women). Similarly, younger Kiwis aged 18–34 were more likely to save for emergencies (47% vs. 27% for those aged 65+), while older Kiwis aged over 65 were more likely to have little left over to save (30% vs. 24% for 18–34s).

Inflation keeps having an impact

In October, cost of living/rising inflation continues to be a challenge with 45% of New Zealanders claiming they’re conscious of their spending and almost a third saying they are cutting back on what they buy. Younger Kiwis aged 18–34 are more likely to be conscious of their spending (52% vs. 41% of 45–64s), while 45–64-year-olds are the most likely to cut back on what they buy (40% vs. 24% of 18–34s). 

With these ongoing pressures, October sees that the top categories Kiwis would cut back on first are: homeware and décor (60%), entertainment, media and streaming services (59%), and clothing and footwear (55%).