Stats NZ will begin migrating more than 60 business survey forms to a new online tool from August, replacing older digital systems and remaining paper-based forms.

The agency says the new platform is designed to be more accessible and easier to use, including the option to save progress and return later. “Stats NZ has heard that surveys can be a burden for small businesses. Our goal is to reduce that burden by making it easier and more straightforward for them to share their information,” said Emma Jones, Deputy Government Statistician and Deputy Chief Executive Technology, Operations, Commercial & Collections.

Stats NZ has already shifted the Quarterly Building Activity Survey onto the platform, which Jones described as a milestone that “gave us the opportunity to find good solutions and lay the groundwork for moving more business surveys onto the new platform.”

Business survey data underpins a wide range of industry and economic statistics used by government and other groups to inform decisions. Two priority economic surveys — the Labour Cost Index and Business Price Index — are scheduled to move to the new platform in mid-2026. The agency says it will announce further survey moves in the coming months and is also modernising related systems and expanding its use of information already collected by government.

Today’s announcement was issued by Statistics Minister Dr Shane Reti and Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk. Stats NZ did not detail any changes to survey content or requirements, or how businesses will be transitioned onto the new tool.