Source: Radio New Zealand
The government rating of 3.9 out of 10 is the lowest since the survey began eight years ago. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Public ratings of government performance have reached another new low in the latest IPSOS Issues Monitor survey.
The government rating of 3.9 out of 10 is the lowest since the survey began in September 2017, and reflects about 45 percent of respondents giving between 0 and 3.
Another 31 percent gave a rating of 4-6, while 23 percent gave 7-10, and 2 percent said they didn’t know.
The government previously dipped to 4.2 in the February survey, hovering around the same level in May and August.
Read the full report: here
The Ipsos New Zealand survey released to RNZ was carried out between 21 to 30 October, although the rating of government performance was taken separately from 5 to 10 November.
Labour is rated best able to handle seven of the top eight concerns for New Zealanders. IPSOS Issues Monitor (October 2025)
The survey asked 1004 New Zealanders what they thought were the top three most important issues facing the country today, and which party was best able to manage them.
Labour was rated best able to handle 15 of the top 20 concerns. National was rated best able on two: Crime/Law and order (5th equal), and Defence/Foreign affairs (20th).
A chart from the IPSOS Issues Monitor showing concern about the number-one rated issue inflation/cost of living has continued to rise since February. IPSOS Issues Monitor (October 2025)
Labour continued to increase its lead over National as the party considered most able to handle inflation/cost of living, which remains the top-rated issue at 61 percent, a 1 percentage point increase over the previous survey in August.
Healthcare decreased two points but remains the second-highest concern, with Labour also increasing its lead over National on that issue – 40 percent of New Zealanders rating it most able, compared to National’s 21 percent. Healthcare remained the top concern for those aged 65 and up.
Labour also overtook National (33 percent vs 29 percent) on the economy, which remains the third-placed concern, rising two points to 32 percent.
IPSOS Issues Monitor (October 2025)
Housing dropped four points as a concern, from 26 to 22 percent, Labour again increasing its lead over National (32 percent vs 21 percent).
Three issues took out the fifth-equal rated concern, with crime/law and order dropping 3 points to 19 percent, putting it in line with unemployment and poverty/inequality (both steady at 19 percent).
Labour was rated best able to handle unemployment (39 percent vs 22 percent) and poverty/inequality (41 percent vs 16 percent), while National retained pole position on crime/law and order (30 percent vs 25 percent).
Labour gained 2 percentage points in handling unemployment and 6 points in handling poverty, while National dropped 1 point in handling crime.
The Greens rated best on climate change (6th-highest rated issue) and environmental/pollution/water (10th), while Te Pāti Māori rated best on issues facing Māori (9th).
A chart showing the gap between those who think New Zealand is on the wrong track vs the right track has narrowed slightly since the previous survey. IPSOS Issues Monitor (October 2025)
The gap between those who think the country on the wrong track (63 percent) versus the right track (37 percent) narrowed by two percentage points.
Results for the survey are weighted by age, gender and region, and the survey has a maximum margin of error of +/-3.1% at a 95 percent confidence level.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
