The University of Waikato and its student body injected NZ$770 million into the Waikato economy last year—4.5 per cent of the region’s annual revenue.
The figures came in a study commissioned by the university and carried out by independent economist Warren Hughes. He found that national spending by the university and its students accounted for NZ$836m, spilling over into sectors such as retail, transport and energy.
“Every dollar generated by [the university’s] operations resulted in another NZ$1.22 of flow-on revenue across the core Waikato economy,” the university said.