New Zealand’s electronic card retail spending growth slowed in April 2026, with the year-over-year increase easing to 2.0%, down from 2.7% in March 2026. The latest figures, updated on 18 May 2026, indicate a moderation in consumer spending momentum as captured through card transactions across the retail sector.
The data are based on a year-over-year comparison, measuring April 2026 against April 2025, while the previous reading compared March 2026 with March 2025. The deceleration from 2.7% to 2.0% suggests that while retail activity continues to expand, the pace of growth in card-based spending has weakened slightly heading into the second quarter of 2026.
