New figures show NZ has 49 days worth of fuel

Wednesday, 18 March 2026

New Zealand has 49 days worth of petrol, diesel and jet fuel either in the country or on ships and on its way here.

This is according to new stock figures released by MBIE on Wednesday, dated to Sunday, March 15.

Petrol stocks are sitting at 51.3 days cover (28.1 in country and 23.3 on the water), while diesel has 47.1 days cover and jet fuel is at 49 days.

But two days have passed since these figures were reported, so real stocks could be lower.

The figures represent a decrease in petrol stock levels by six days since March 8, when the last numbers were released.

As at midnight, March 8, New Zealand had 57.9 days worth of petrol, 49.9 of diesel and 46.8 of jet fuel either in the country or on the way here.

The decrease in petrol numbers may have been driven by people attempting to buy as much fuel as possible before prices rise further.

In an update, Finance Minister Nicola Willis noted that the figures have dropped slightly in the past week, but said “the changes reflect normal patterns of consumption and shipping”.

“They are not a sign of supply disruption … More than a week’s worth of fuel is scheduled to arrive over the coming days, with additional shipments already on the water and due later this month.”

Resources Minister Shane Jones, who has responsibility for fuel security, said New Zealand is so far dealing well with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“I want to be clear that at this stage, there is no need for fuel restrictions. Introducing rationing or restriction measures before there is clear evidence of a genuine shortage won’t create more fuel in the system,” he said.

“The public can be assured that if the situation changes, the Government will pass on that information quickly, and with plans in place to mitigate any issues.”