The Palmerston North and Manawatū region has outperformed the national economy.
Infometrics latest Quarterly Economic Monitor shows that regional economies such as Manawatū and Palmerston North are performing almost twice as well as the national economy.
Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA) chief executive Linda Stewart says Manawatū, Palmerston North and the wider Manawatū-Whanganui region have outperformed the national economy while other
regions were hit by Covid-19.
"It shows how the regions are driving the economy in terms of primary-related exports.
"Due to the diversified economy of the Manawatū, we can add education, public administration, research, logistics and manufacturing as well.
"While the Manawatū and Palmerston North economies have taken a hit, our economic diversity means that we are in a good position to weather the storm.
"It also shows the soundness of the economic development strategy that the region is following," she says.
A useful measure is non-residential consents, which points to both infrastructure and commercial activity.