Credit cards accounted for 71.1% of card transactions in August — their highest share in more than two decades.

Does that reflect renewed confidence, the convenience of online spending, or are more New Zealanders relying on debt simply to make ends meet?

Liam Dann and Tamsyn Parker examine what the figures reveal about household finances, how election uncertainty could slow the economic recovery, and why property prices may not return to their 2021 peak until 2029.

The Economy of Everything is made in partnership with CMC Markets.