Independent Analysis and Reportage
Keith RankinKeith Rankin is an economics and statistics lecturer, recently retired from Unitec, Auckland, New Zealand.
Keith Rankin writes: ... when older people are (for purely economic reasons) added workers clinging onto jobs which they would rather retire from, then they are simply blocking the employment pipeline – gumming up the works – and contributing to the difficulties being faced in making young people productive.
Keith Rankin writes: We know from medical science that many conditions come right – heal themselves, without treatment – after a certain amount of time. This is true for many pathogen-caused conditions, which are resolved by the immune system... Economic ailments can be similar.
Keith Rankin writes: The authorities' policy of economic cruelty continues, with yesterday's rise in the Official Cash Rate in the middle of an ongoing (and possibly deepening) economic crisis.
Keith Rankin writes; Earlier I published two charts showing the demographic changes, from 1986 to 2026, in the female working-age population. Here are the equivalent charts for the male population; generally showing, compared to women, lower numbers of older men and more younger men.
Keith Rankin writes; ... today New Zealand arguably collects too much information about ethnicity and gender; and too little information about people's ages, birth-years, and birth-places.
Keith Rankin - Will the New Zealand Ponzi scheme – established 1985 – ever fold? Maybe not. New Zealand is small and the world is large. Indeed those who have invested in New Zealand, a Ponzi entity for four decades, have generally done well for themselves.
Keith Rankin - The experience of the early 1990s gives context to the early 2010s; under a National-led government, as is the present non-growth experience. In the early 2010s, the recovery in New Zealand from the Global Financial Crisis was surprisingly slow; was significantly slower than it should have been.
Keith Rankin: Neoliberalism remains New Zealand's reigning paradigm to the present day, and the financial services lobby remains stronger than ever (noting the extraordinary hold that KiwiSaver seems to have over us).
The world becomes a rather confusing place when we see a self-ordained 'Good' doing many evil things, and 'Evil' doing some good things. The greater evil may be to label oneself – or at least one's own side – as Good, thereby (through presumption) casting the other side(s) as Evil.
Analysis by Keith Rankin.Role: Economic historian. Keith Rankin, 18 June 2026 – The latest quarterly economic growth data were released by Statistics today. The following chart summarises eight-quarter (ie two yearly) economic growth rates from 1990. I have colour coded the data to match the political party leading the government for each period. (Shades are lighter ... <a title="Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – New Zealand Economic Growth Update" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/06/18/keith-rankin-chart-analysis-new-zealand-economic-growth-update/" aria-label="Read more about Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – New Zealand Economic Growth Update">Read more</a>
Yesterday morning I listened to John Cambell (RNZ) interviewing an Iranian-born New Zealander, who came to Australia as a refugee 42 years ago, and subsequently moved on to New Zealand.
In the movie, Mary Mapes – under inquisition – was accused of conducting her research under a 'liberal' presumption that George Bush was guilty; whereas, under formal law, accused persons should enjoy the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. Dan Rather was accused, implicitly, of lacking judgement by going along with this...