About:

This report outlines the development of a Regional Rental Affordability Index (RRAI) for New Zealand, designed to track and compare the relationship between regional rents and earnings over time. The RAI provides a clear and standardised framework for understanding housing stress and affordability trends at a regional level.

The Regional Rental Affordability Index expresses rent as a proportion (%) of income (as ‘earnings per job’).

Overall, the RRAI establishes a robust national benchmark to inform investment decisions, housing policy across the social strata, and national-regional development strategies.

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June 2026