--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-34/can-the-kiwi-fly-achieving-productivity-lift-off-in-new-zealand/" title: "Can the Kiwi Fly? Achieving Productivity Lift-off in New Zealand" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T07:42:42+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:42:42+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Spring 2018" ipm_keyword: - "capital deepening" - "competition" - "geography" - "innovation" - "international trade" - "isolation" - "New Zealand" - "OECD" - "productivity" - "productivity commission" ipm_research_theme: - "Policy and institutions" ipm_country_focus: - "International" - "New Zealand" - "OECD" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # Can the Kiwi Fly? Achieving Productivity Lift-off in New Zealand Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-34/can-the-kiwi-fly-achieving-productivity-lift-off-in-new-zealand/ # Can the Kiwi Fly? Achieving Productivity Lift-off in New Zealand [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-34-3-Conway.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Conway, Paul. 2018. “Can the Kiwi Fly? Achieving Productivity Lift-off in New Zealand.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 34 (Spring 2018): 40–63. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-34/can-the-kiwi-fly-achieving-productivity-lift-off-in-new-zealand/ ## Author: - Paul Conway Economics Department, OECD ## IPM Issue 34 Spring 2018 pp. 40–63 ## Related IPM articles [Is the SNA Still Useful? 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Against the background of ongoing changes in technology and in the global trading environment, the article also puts forward a number of high-level policy suggestions aimed at countering the economic forces that have constrained productivity, including opening the economy to new opportunities for international connection, and encouraging capital deepening, greater competition and more effective innovation. Getting this right requires a deep understanding of New Zealand’s productivity track record and potential in the 21st century global economy and presents a major challenge for the New Zealand public sector. Material living standards in New Zealand La piètre performance à long terme de la Nouvelle-Zélande en matière de productivité a intrigué les économistes nationaux et les observateurs internationaux depuis des décennies. Pour apporter des réponses, cet article esquisse les grandes raisons pour lesquelles le relèvement de la productivité s’est avéré si difficile. Dans le contexte des changements en cours dans la technologie et dans l’environnement commercial mondial, l’article propose également un certain nombre de suggestions politiques de haut niveau visant à contrecarrer les forces économiques qui ont limité la productivité, notamment en ouvrant l’économie à de nouvelles opportunités de connexion internationale, et en encourageant l’approfondissement du capital, une plus grande concurrence et une innovation plus efficace. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-34-3-Conway.pdf)