Population of New Zealand regions
At 30 June 2023, thousands of people
| Region | Number of people |
|---|---|
| Northland | 198,500 |
| Auckland | 1,755,200 |
| Waikato | 516,800 |
| Bay of Plenty | 346,500 |
| Gisborne | 52,300 |
| Hawke's Bay | 179,000 |
| Taranaki | 129,400 |
| Manawatū-Whanganui | 257,800 |
| Wellington | 538,000 |
| West Coast | 33,900 |
| Canterbury | 676,600 |
| Otago | 248,500 |
| Southland | 102,700 |
| Tasman | 59,100 |
| Nelson | 54,300 |
| Marlborough | 50,800 |
For more information
Limitations of the data
Population estimates give the best available measure of the size and age-sex composition of the population usually living in an area. However, uncertainty is inherent in the estimation process.
The estimates for the most recent years are provisional. This data was revised in 2025 and is due for further revisions and updates.
Data provided by
Dataset name
Estimates and Projections: Estimated resident population (ERP), subnational population by ethnic group, age, and sex, at 30 June 2023
Webpage:
How to find the data
To create this dataset, all variables were selected, except for SA2 and SA3 areas. Download "filtered data in tabular text (CSV)".
Import & extraction details
File as imported: Estimates and Projections: Estimated resident population (ERP), subnational population by ethnic group, age, and sex, at 30 June 2023
From the dataset Estimates and Projections: Estimated resident population (ERP), subnational population by ethnic group, age, and sex, at 30 June 2023, this data was extracted:
- Rows: 2-54,001
- Column: 15
- Provided: 51,840 data points
This data forms the table Population - Estimated resident population by region, age group, sex and ethnic group at June 1996–2023.
Dataset originally released on:
April 09, 2025
Purpose of collection
Subnational population estimates are used in many administrative, statistical and research applications.
They are used by Government, regional planning authorities, local bodies, private organisation, researchers and individuals for determining future housing and other consumer needs, community amenities and social services at the subnational level.
Subnational estimates of population also provide information on the supply of labour for employment and the growth of markets.
Method of collection/Data provider
Population estimates from June 2013 are based on the 2023 Census results.
The estimated resident population of each area is based on the 2023 Census usually resident population count, with updates for:
- residents missed or counted more than once by the census (net census undercount)
- residents temporarily overseas on census night
- reconciliation with demographic estimates for ages 0-14 years
- births, deaths, and net migration between census night and the date of the estimate.
The estimated resident population is not directly comparable with the census usually resident population count because of these adjustments.