New Zealand voters express gloom ahead of country's tightest election

New Zealand is heading into what analysts describe as the tightest election in years while about 180 people are leaving the country each day, a record‑breaking outflow that is straining families and talent pools. The exodus coincides with a sharp rise in household electricity bills and a housing market that ranks among the world’s least affordable. The combination of political uncertainty and economic pressure is prompting many residents to consider moving abroad.

The island nation now faces soaring costs for basic necessities: electricity prices have jumped drastically, and a supermarket duopoly has pushed grocery prices to some of the highest levels in the developed world, leaving roughly a quarter of adults skipping meals. Housing remains out of reach for many, with both rent and purchase prices among the most expensive on Earth. Healthcare pressures are also mounting, highlighted by a case in July where a man died after waiting nine hours in an emergency department toilet, underscoring long waiting lists and understaffing.

"There's a segment of the population that are facing real material hardship... and then there's another segment of New Zealanders that are quite anxious that they could be next," political scientist Luke Oldfield of Victoria University of Wellington said. Dr Lara Greaves, who studies Indigenous politics, added that several groups feel they are being used as a political football. Siblings Sam and Emily told the BBC they love New Zealand but find it hard to stay, noting that "it's not just that you're being rewarded for going to Australia, it's that you're kind of actively being punished for staying here".