Population size and change

This section provides statistics on where people live in Aotearoa New Zealand and how this has changed over time.

You can also find information on how population size and growth can impact on the environment and our health.

New Zealand’s population was about 5 million people in 2023

In March 2023, there were 4,993,923 people living in New Zealand, according to the 2023 Census of Population and Dwellings [1].

As at 2023, Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, with one in three people (33.2%) living there. In 2023, the major population centres in New Zealand were:

• Auckland City (1,656,500 people)
• Christchurch City (391,400 people)
• Wellington City (202,700 people)
• Hamilton City (174,700 people)
• Tauranga City (152,800 people)
• Dunedin City (128,900 people).

Overall, 76.3% of the New Zealand population lived on the North Island in 2023.

New Zealand has a relatively low population density

Population density is relatively low in New Zealand by international standards [2], at 18.9 people per square kilometre in 2023.

Territorial authorities with the highest population densities include Hamilton City, Tauranga City, Wellington City, Napier City, Porirua City and Auckland City (Figure 1).

Territorial authorities with the lowest population densities include Chatham Islands Territory, Westland District and Mackenzie District.

Figure 1: Population density by Territorial Authority, 2023 (people per square kilometre) 

Population growth highest in Selwyn and Queenstown Lakes districts

Population growth in New Zealand has been slow and relatively constant in the past few decades. In the 2023 Census, the New Zealand population was almost 5 million people, up from 4.7 million in 2018. This represented a 6.3% population increase over this five-year period.

Territorial authorities with a large population increase in the five-year period from 2018 to 2023 included Selwyn District (29.0% increase) and Queenstown Lakes District (22.1% increase) (Figure 2).

Chatham Islands' population decreased by 7.7% from 2018 to 2023, while Wellington City had almost exactly the same population size in 2018 and 2023. 

Figure 2: Population change by Territorial Authority, 2018 to 2023 (% change) 

Population size and change can affect environmental health

Population growth can affect environmental health in both positive and negative ways.

An increase in population can have positive environmental health outcomes, through economic development and growth, and possibly increased funding for programmes related to environmental issues  [3]. In areas with larger populations, services such as public transport, reticulated water supplies and good wastewater treatment plants can be more cost effective.

However, urban areas with larger populations can put pressure on the environment. For example, population growth and higher population density can lead to higher levels of air pollution, due to vehicles, home heating, and industry.

Rapid or persistent population growth can also place heavy demands on the environment and ecosystems, and can put pressure on local infrastructure and services  [4]. Negative effects of population growth can include waste and sanitation issues, issues with drinking water quality and/or availability, and poorer recreational water quality.

A decreasing population size can put pressure on essential services. Fewer ratepayers can make it difficult to maintain basic infrastructure, such as drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and roading.

Information about the data

Census usually resident population count and change
Source: New Zealand 2023 Census of Population and Dwellings 

Definition: This data comes from the 2023 Census of Population and Dwellings. Stats NZ used a combined census model, using data from both census forms and alternative sources such as administrative data. For population data, see Stats NZ's Aotearoa Data Explorer [1]. For more information on data quality of the 2023 Census, see Stats NZ www.stats.govt.nz/2023-census.