# Findings Report — Prompt 26: NZIER/Research Reports **Date of run:** 8 June 2026, 14:47 NZST **Prompt:** NZIER/Research Reports (Economics category) **Value Rating:** 🟠 High --- ## Search Strategy - Searched `site:nzier.org.nz` for ageing, older, retirement, aged care, long-term care, superannuation, health spending - Searched for "Business of Ageing 2026" across NZIER, Office for Seniors, RNZ, BusinessDesk, 1News, Newsroom, B2B News - Browsed NZIER publications page for recent ageing-related insights/working papers - Searched for "Longer, better, more sustainable lives" report (for Selwyn Foundation) --- ## Key Finding #1 — NZIER Business of Ageing 2026 Report (Released 15 April 2026) **This is the primary finding.** The 2026 update to the long-running Business of Ageing series (first published 2011) was released on 15 April 2026, commissioned by the **Office for Seniors (Te Tari Kaumātua)** and authored by NZIER Associate **Todd Krieble**. **Sources:** - [NZIER media release — Population ageing is reshaping NZ's economy now](https://www.nzier.org.nz/news/population-ageing-is-reshaping-new-zealands-economy-now) (accessed 8 Jun 2026) - [Office for Seniors — Business of Ageing research page](https://www.officeforseniors.govt.nz/our-work/business-of-ageing-research) (accessed 8 Jun 2026) - [Full report PDF](https://www.officeforseniors.govt.nz/assets/documents/our-work/Business-of-Ageing/NZIER-Business-of-Ageing-2026-report.pdf) (accessed 8 Jun 2026) - [RNZ — Paid work by over-65s worth nearly $9 billion a year](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/592453/paid-work-by-over-65s-worth-nearly-9-billion-a-year-study) (accessed 8 Jun 2026) - [BusinessDesk — Economist sees opportunity in 'young old'](https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/economy/nzier-business-of-ageing-report-released-economist-sees-opportunity-in-young-old) (accessed 8 Jun 2026) - [1News — Kiwis over 65 contributing more than $34b a year](https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/04/18/kiwis-over-65-contributing-more-than-34m-a-year-to-the-economy/) (accessed 8 Jun 2026) - [B2B News — 80% of NZ employers lack older worker strategy despite $14b contribution](https://b2bnews.co.nz/news/80-percent-of-nz-employers-lack-older-worker-strategy-despite-14b-contribution/) (accessed 8 Jun 2026) - [Newsroom — Hyper-ageing population can be exploited, not treated as a burden](https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/05/07/how-we-could-stop-treating-nzs-ageing-population-as-a-burden/) (accessed 8 Jun 2026) --- ## Key Data Points ### Current (2024) Economic Contribution of NZers 65+ | Category | Value (2024) | | ------------------------------------------------- | ------------------- | | Paid work (employees) | ~$8.7 billion/yr | | Self-employment income | ~$5.1 billion/yr | | **Total earned income** | **~$14 billion/yr** | | Consumer spending | ~$55 billion/yr | | Tax paid | $13.1 billion/yr | | Unpaid work (caregiving, volunteering, household) | >$20 billion/yr | | **Total measured contribution** | **>$34 billion/yr** | ### Projections to 2074 | Metric | 2024 | 2074 | Change | | ---------------------------------- | ------- | ----------- | ------ | | Over-65s in paid work | 217,400 | 477,800 | ×2.2 | | Share of national workforce (65+) | 7.1% | 10.9% | +3.8pp | | Earnings from paid work | $8.7B | $50.2B | ×5.7 | | Self-employment earnings | $5.1B | $29.3B | ×5.7 | | Consumer spending by 65+ | $54.7B | $357.7B | ×6.5 | | Tax contributions from older NZers | $13.1B | $80.1B | ×6.1 | | Value of unpaid activity | >$20B | $121B–$138B | ×6–7 | | Reliance on accumulated assets | $14.2B | $104.7B | ×7.4 | ### Workforce Context - Currently **24%** of people aged 65+ are in paid work — one of the highest rates in the OECD - Among 65–69 year olds: **44%** employed (up from 10% in 1993) - Workers aged 80+: projected **389% growth** to ~44,000 by 2078 (Stats NZ) - NZ birth rate: **1.5** (replacement = 2.1) — younger worker pipeline contracting - **80% of employers have no strategy** for retaining older workers (EMA, Dec 2024) --- ## Key Finding #2 — Ministerial Response & Policy Context **Minister for Seniors Casey Costello** welcomed the report, saying: > "Our older population isn't this problem we need to solve. There is so much opportunity and so much that older communities give back to us that we need to be valuing it." She emphasised NZ needs to "think a lot differently about the older workforce" and how to utilise their skills. The report has sparked wider sector discussion: - **National Forum for the Decade of Healthy Ageing** (chaired by Denise Cosgrove, CEO Selwyn Foundation) launched **5 pledges** for healthy ageing in Parliament, including preventive healthcare, accessible housing, improved community support, financial resilience, and better data collection - **Age Concern Canterbury CEO Greta Bond** highlighted that government is good at getting people into work but less good at supporting continued work - **Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson** cautioned that participation must be "by choice, not necessity" --- ## Key Finding #3 — NZIER's "Longer, Better, More Sustainable Lives" Report (July 2025) A separate NZIER client report for **The Selwyn Foundation** (July 2025), identified **5 priority areas for investment** in healthy ageing. This report underpinned the National Forum's pledge framework. **Source:** - [PDF: Longer, better, more sustainable lives — Final Report July 2025](https://www.nzier.org.nz/hubfs/Public%20Publications/Client%20reports/Longer%2C%20better%2C%20more%20sustainable%20lives%20-%20Final%20Report%20July%202025.pdf) (accessed 8 Jun 2026) --- ## Key Finding #4 — NZIER Working Paper: Lessons from Australian Retirement Income System (WP 2024-01) A working paper comparing NZ and Australian retirement income systems, noting that spending on pensions, health, and aged care will increase as the working age population share falls. **Source:** - [PDF: Lessons from across the Tasman — NZIER WP 2024-01](https://www.nzier.org.nz/hubfs/Lessons%20from%20the%20Australian%20retirement%20income%20system%20NZIER%20WP%202024-01.pdf) (accessed 8 Jun 2026) --- ## KB ACTION — Files to Create/Update ### Create: 1. **`12_Statistics/2026-06 NZIER - Business of Ageing 2026 Report.md`** — Web capture/summary of full report data (replace prior 2023 update) 2. **`05_Funding/2026-04 NZIER - Business of Ageing 2026 Economic Data.md`** — Key economic contribution figures for the funding folder ### Update: 1. **`05_Funding/README.md`** or relevant tracker — Add Business of Ageing 2026 headline figures to funding overview 2. **`11_Market/README.md`** — Note workforce ageing projections relevant to retirement village market sizing 3. **`12_Statistics/README.md`** — Add Business of Ageing 2026 as key statistical source ### Cross-link to: - `05_Funding` (economic contribution data) - `12_Statistics` (population projections, workforce data) - `11_Market` (retirement village market context — workforce impacts) - `16 Political/11 Briefs` (policy implications of ageing-as-opportunity narrative) --- ## Date Accessed All sources accessed: 8 June 2026 --- **Next steps for KB maintainer:** Extract key tables from the Business of Ageing 2026 PDF and embed into the relevant folder files. The full PDF (1,050 KB) is available at the Office for Seniors link above and should be saved locally.