The cost of living for the average household increased by 7.7 per cent in the 12 months to March, according to figures released by Stats NZ.

Each quarter, the household living-costs price indexes (HLPIs) measure how inflation affects 13 different household groups, plus an all-households group.

It is different to the consumers price index (CPI), which measures how inflation affects New Zealand as a whole.

Higher prices for interest payments, grocery food, rent, and fruit and vegetables were the main contributors to the HLPI increase for the quarter ending March.

Between March 2022 and March 2023 prices for interest payments increased 38 per cent, rent increased 5.4 per cent, grocery food increased 12 per cent and fruit and vegetables increased 21 per cent.

'Food prices increased by 12 per cent for the average household, which was the main contributor for most household groups,” says consumer prices manager James Mitchell.

The 7.7 per cent yearly increase followed an 8.2 per cent increase in the 12 months to December 2022.

The cost of living for beneficiary households increased 6.7 per cent in the 12 months to March 2023.

'This was due to higher prices for rent, interest payments, grocery food, such as eggs and cheese, and fruit and vegetables,” says Mitchell.

Rent makes up about a third of beneficiary household expenditure. This compares with 13 per cent for the average household, and 5 per cent for highest-spending households.

The cost of living for Māori households increased 7.5 per cent and superannuitant households 7.1 per cent, while highest-spending households' cost of living increased 8.7 per cent and the lowest-spending households 6.9 per cent.

The quarterly change was all households was 1.8 per cent, beneficiaries was 2 per cent, Māori 1.8 per cent, superannuitants 1.5 per cent, highest-expenditure household group 1.6 per cent and lowest-expenditure household group 1.9 per cent.

- Brianna Mcilraith/Stuff.