Taylor Swift may get a tiny bit of the blame, for inflation and interest rates staying higher longer

Annual inflation dropped to four-percent in March, but remains well above the Reserve Bank's one to three percent target.

Rents, rates and housing costs were by far the biggest contributors.

But the Herald's Liam Dann says recreation prices were the second-biggest contributor.

That includes a sharp rise in international accommodation prices during the Australian leg of Taylor Swift's world tour.

He says those overseas prices are actually affecting New Zealand's inflation rate, and therefore the Reserve Bank's interest rate decisions.