Methodology for estimating travel, transportation, insurance, and government services

The International Trade in Services and Royalties Survey collects detailed country information for exports and imports of around 55 different service types. However, it does not collect data for travel, transportation, insurance, and government services, so we estimate country-level data for these services types. Here is a brief explanation of the methodology we use for these estimations. Exports of personal travel services are estimated using a combination of International Visitor Survey data, and visitor arrival figures. Exports of education travel services are estimated using visa numbers from Immigration NZ and student numbers by country data from the Ministry of Education's Export Education Levy. Imports of travel services are estimated using a combination of data from the 2004 Survey of Returned Travellers, credit card expenditure data, and short-term resident departure figures. Exports of transportation services are estimated by adding together data from passenger, freight, and other transportation services. Passenger transportation services data is provided by airlines based in countries where tickets were sold. Freight services are estimated using merchandise trade data – the importer pays the freight on goods ordered, so freight is proportionally assigned to countries importing goods from New Zealand. Other transportation service exports are based on data from non-resident airlines and shopping companies that incur expenses (such as landing rights or port fees) while in New Zealand. This data is collected through our quarterly transportation surveys. Imports of transportation services are estimated in a similar way to exports, by adding separately estimated data from passenger, freight, and other transportation services. Passenger transportation services are estimated based on the country where the airline transporting passengers is a resident. For example, any tickets purchased for Qantas flights by New Zealand residents are considered imports of passenger transportation services from Australia. Freight services are estimated using merchandise trade data – freight expenditure is proportionally allocated based on the country that goods are imported from. Other transportation services imports come from quarterly transportation surveys of resident airlines and shipping companies. Insurance services are estimated in two parts – freight insurance and regular non-life insurance. Freight insurance is estimated in a similar way to freight transportation services. The importer of a good will typically pay the freight and insurance costs associated with that good, so freight insurance services by country are allocated according to proportions of imports/exports by country from merchandise trade data. Non-life insurance is collected by country in our quarterly insurance surveys, and is combined with freight data for a total picture of insurance by country. Government services by country is estimated using foreign embassy locations, as well as long-term migration figures. Any expenses that a New Zealand embassy incurs abroad are treated as imports of government services, while expenses incurred by foreign embassies in New Zealand are treated as exports of government services. Immigration fees received by the government were allocated to countries based on the number of long-term migrants arriving from each country. Updates to previously published figures The figures in this release are subject to revision when new data becomes available, and when methodology is improved to ensure the accuracy of our statistics. Each year, we make updates to include both new data, and methodological improvements. Estimates for non-surveyed and undercounted areas are determined every year. Confidentiality and accessing the data In accordance with the Data and Statistics Act 2022, Statistics New Zealand aims to prevent disclosure of information in a form that could reasonably be expected to identify any individual or organisation. However, Section 39, sub-section 2 (e) allows for an exception to the normal practices of statistical confidentiality as it applies to external trade data. In the case of goods data, we have a long-standing practice of applying a less restrictive form of confidentialisation of data based on active requests for suppression by affected businesses. More information about this can be found at https://www.stats.govt.nz/about-us/legislation-policies-and-guidelines/trade-confidentiality. Services data follows the standard application of confidentiality employed throughout Statistics New Zealand. More information Statistics in this release have been produced in accordance with the Official Statistics System principles and protocols for producers of Tier 1 statistics for quality. They conform to the Statistics NZ Methodological Standard for Reporting of Data Quality. Liability While all care and diligence has been used in processing, analysing, and extracting data and information in this publication, we give no warranty it is error-free and will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by the use directly, or indirectly, of the information in this publication. Timing Our information releases are delivered electronically by third parties. Delivery may be delayed by circumstances outside our control. Statistics NZ does not accept responsibility for any such delay. en-NZ