SYDNEY, April 21 (Reuters) - New Zealand's consumer price index (CPI) rose by faster than expected in the first quarter as transport and housing prices jumped, according to data released by Statistics New Zealand on Wednesday.
CPI rose 0.8% in the quarter-ended March from 0.5% in the previous period and higher than the 0.7% forecast.
Annual inflation was 1.5%, from 1.4% the previous quarter. Nine economists polled by Reuters had forecast annual CPI to stay unchanged.