All eyes on interest rates: Key OCR dates to watch for in 2026

Interest rates have tracked steadily downwards over the last 18 months or so. 

While the shift has been positive, bringing some relief to Kiwi households pushed to their limit by high mortgage costs, it's taking longer than expected for the benefit to flow through to the economy. The hurt of the last few years has knocked consumer confidence in a big way, and people aren't yet super comfortable going out and spending again. 

Which is why, in an effort to get us back on track, the Reserve Bank has officially tipped us into a stimulatory rate environment, with the OCR now sitting well below its estimated 'neutral' point of 3.00%. 

Pending how the data plays out—specifically inflation data—interest rates looking likely to remain relatively flat for most of 2026, giving the economy a chance to get more firmly back on its feet, before starting the slow and steady transition back to 'neutral' either late this year or early next. 

Once the OCR is back at 3.00%, borrowers can expect the one-year rate to settle somewhere around 5.00%. 

With that said, here are the key OCR dates to watch for in 2026:

• 8^th April 2026 - Monetary Policy Review & OCR
• 27^th May 2026 - Monetary Policy Statement & OCR
• 8^th July 2026 - Monetary Policy Review & OCR
• 2^nd September 2026 - Monetary Policy Statement & OCR
• 28^th October 2026 - Monetary Policy Review & OCR
• 9^th December 2026 - Monetary Policy Statement & OCR

Whatever the next few months might bring, you can always catch our latest analysis on the situation over on the Squirrel blog, helping to make sense of what the RBNZ announcements mean for Kiwi homeowners and our housing market.

Need help making sense of interest rates?

We have a team of mortgage and property experts ready to help. Give us a call on 0800 21 22 30 or flick us a message here.

*There are two types of OCR announcement. Quarterly Monetary Policy Statements (in bold) are more in-depth – and may be where the RBNZ revises its forecasts. Monetary Policy Reviews are more of an interim update, or check-in, between MPS announcements.