New Zealand Report 2022

New Zealand has weathered the global COVID-19 pandemic relatively well, both in terms of public health and economic performance. As of December 2021, the country had only recorded nine deaths per million population – the lowest such figure in the OECD. New Zealand’s economy also bounced back faster than expected and is projected to exit recession in 2022. The unemployment rate saw a sharp drop in 2021, from a peak of 5.3% in the September 2020 quarter to 3.4% in the September 2021 quarter.