New Zealand’s economic recovery remained frustratingly tentative in the fourth quarter of last year, with economists warning that the outlook faces fresh threats as the war in the Middle East destabilizes the world economy. The economy grew by just 0.2% in the fourth quarter and by 1.3% from a year earlier, well short of the expected annual growth of 1.7%. While growth disappointed in the quarter, the economy still posted its first full year of expansion since the third quarter of 2024, according to Stats NZ. A small open economy, New Zealand is often buffeted badly at times of elevated global uncertainty as it was a ... (full story)