Food prices in New Zealand have risen overall, and Statistics New Zealand is suggesting that the minimum wage rise in April may have something to do with it.
“April’s 75 cent increase in the minimum wage, to $16.50 an hour, may have contributed to price increases for these items,” said Stats NZ prices manager Matthew Haigh. “Of every $100 that Kiwi households spend on food, about $26 goes on takeaways and eating out.”
Food prices on the whole rose 0.2 percent in June, while prices for restaurant meals and food-to-go increased 3 percent. Lunch meals rose 3.8 percent, alongside a wide range of takeaway food.
