Proportion of unoccupied homes in Taranaki districts, New Zealand
By territorial authority, based on census night, 2023 Census, % of dwellings
The following information applies to all values in the table.
Census Year: 2023, Subject population: Dwellings, Dwelling occupancy status: Unoccupied Dwelling, Dwelling type: Private Dwelling, Unit: Percentage of total stated
Use this data with caution. This data was rated moderate quality by Stats NZ. Read the warnings and response rate metadata below before using.
Stats NZ gives data an overall rating based on sources and coverage, consistency, and data quality.
Why am I seeing this?
This data is from the Census. The past two censuses had relatively low response rates, particularly for some areas of New Zealand and groups of people.
Where information was missing or unreadable, Stats NZ attempted to use data from a range of places such as previous censuses or administrative data that is collected by other government agencies. If that isn't available, Stats NZ use statistical models to predict what the missing data would have been. This is called imputation.
Subject matter
Dwelling occupancy status classifies each dwelling according to whether it is occupied, unoccupied, or under construction on census night. Dwelling under construction includes all new dwellings that are being built.
For census use, a dwelling is defined as occupied if it is:
- occupied at midnight on census night; or
- occupied at any time during the 12 hours following midnight on census night unless the occupant(s) completed a form at another dwelling during this period.
An unoccupied dwelling is classified as ‘empty’ if it:
- had no current occupants; and
- new occupants were not expected to arrive or move in on, or before, census night.
A dwelling is classified as ‘residents away’ if:
- occupants of a dwelling are identified as being temporarily away and are not expected to return by noon on the day after census night.
A private dwelling accommodates a person or a group of people and is not generally available for public use. The main purpose of a private dwelling is as a place of habitation, and it is usually built (or converted) to function as a self-contained housing unit.
A non-private dwelling provides short or long-term communal or transitory type accommodation. Non-private dwellings are generally available to the public for reasons of employment, study, special need, legal requirement, or recreation. Non-private dwellings include:
- backpackers, guest accommodation, hotels, motels, youth hostels
- camps, communal staff quarters, hospitals, and institutional complexes
- bed-and-breakfasts, farm stays, and home stays that are mainly intended to be used as facilities for paying guests.
Response rates and final data sources
Dwelling occupancy status was determined via responses to the census, evidence gathered during field operations, and admin data sources. It is not a question asked on a census form.
For dwelling type, the response rate from 2023 Census forms was 91.8%. 5.6% was obtained from previous censuses. The remaining 2.6% came from admin data or statistical imputation.
Definitions
Dwelling: A dwelling is any building or structure that is used, or intended to be used, for human habitation. There can be more than one dwelling within a building. For example, each apartment in an apartment building is a dwelling.
Household: either one person who usually resides alone, or two or more people who usually reside together and share facilities in a private dwelling. Included are people who were absent on census night but usually live in a particular dwelling and are members of that household, as long as they were reported as being absent on the dwelling form or the household set-up form.
Data calculation/treatment
This data has been randomly rounded to protect confidentiality. Figure.NZ calculated percentages based on the 'Total stated' values for each variable. Individual percentages may not sum to 100% and values for the same data may vary in different tables.
Geographically the census includes the North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands, plus largely uninhabited islands including the Kermadec Islands, Three Kings Islands, Mayor Island, Motiti Island, White Island, Moutohora Island, Bounty Islands, Snares Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, and Campbell Island.
The New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings is the official count of how many people and dwellings there are in New Zealand. It provides a snapshot of our society at a point in time and helps to tell the story of its social and economic change. The 2023 Census, held on Tuesday 7 March, was the 35th New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings. The first official census was run in 1851, and since 1877 there has been a census every five years, with only four exceptions.
Purpose of collection
Census information is used by government agencies, local authorities, businesses, community organisations, and the public for developing and implementing new policies, research, planning, and decision-making. It helps us make decisions about how to best use public funding, especially in areas of health, education, housing, and transport.
The census is also the primary source of information used for deciding the number of general and Māori electorates, along with data from the corresponding Māori Electoral Option.