A plurality of National and New Zealand First voters say the Coalition Government is doing a poor job of reducing household costs, a Taxpayers’ Union–Curia poll shows.

The survey, released Tuesday, found a net negative rating for the Government across five areas of economic management, with even party supporters unconvinced on some measures.

Only 30% of the National Party’s own voters rated its performance on household costs as good, while 31% said it had done a poor job and 35% were unsure.

Among NZ First supporters, 48% said the Coalition had done a poor job and just 20% backed its record on costs.

The high cost of living has been voters’ top concern since before the election, and the Government appears to be struggling to persuade even its own base that it is addressing the issue.

Only Act Party voters rated the Government well, with 42% in support and 15% saying it was doing a poor job — another 37% were neutral.

More than 80% of opposition supporters said it had performed poorly, pushing the Coalition’s rating on the issue down to a net -39%, with negative views easily outweighing positive ones.

Job creation was another weak spot. A net 33% of respondents said the Government had done a poor job of creating jobs (unemployment rose to 5.2% in the June quarter).

Even National supporters were split, with 32% saying it was doing well on jobs and 28% saying it was doing poorly.

Just 16% of NZ First voters said the Government had done a good job creating employment, compared with 48% who said it had done badly. Act Party voters were most positive, with only 17% saying it was doing poorly on jobs.

Around 70% of governing party supporters said the Coalition was doing a good job of growing the economy. But a similar share of opposition supporters said it was doing poorly, leaving an overall net score of -3%.

More or less? 

The Taxpayers’ Union–Curia poll also asked about reducing wasteful spending and returning the Crown accounts to surplus. These measures are subjective, as voters will have different views on what good or poor performance means.

For example, 54% of Labour voters and 19% of Act voters both said the Government had done a poor job of managing the Crown accounts — likely for opposite reasons.

NZ First voters were evenly split on the Government’s efforts to reduce waste, though the poll did not show whether they wanted more or fewer cuts. A plurality of Act voters were unsure, while most National voters said it had done a good job.

Overall, the Coalition recorded a net -1% rating for managing the Crown accounts and -4% for reducing wasteful spending.

Women had a more negative view of the Government than men. Only 26% of women said it was doing a good job of growing the economy, compared with 42% of men.

Two-thirds of women — often responsible for household budgets — said it was doing a poor job of reducing costs, compared with 47% of men.

Older people were more positive about the Coalition’s performance than younger people across all five metrics, with only job creation and cost reductions in net negative territory.

Auckland and Wellington gave the most negative assessments of economic growth, while small towns and rural areas were net positive.

James Ross, a Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson, said this was a failing grade for the Government which had not been bold enough on economic or spending reforms. 

“Poll after poll show the cost of living and the economy are top of voters’ minds. These results suggest they are losing faith in the Government’s economic management. With the Coalition’s numbers on a knife-edge, the link is clear,” he said. 

The poll was conducted by Curia Market Research. It surveyed a random sample of 1,000 adults, weighted to the overall adult population. Interviews were conducted by phone and online between 3 and 5 August 2025. The maximum margin of error is 3.1%.