Of New Zealand’s 16 regions, 12 had lower population growth in June 2022 than in 2021, Stats NZ today said.
“While two-thirds of regions have seen population growth over the past year, for most regions this growth has been lower than in 2021,” said the acting head of population estimates and projections, Rebekah Hennessey.
“Population decline has also occurred in five regions – Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, West Coast and Southland.”
| Region | Percentage change 2021 | Percentage change 2022 |
| Northland | 2.2 | 1.3 |
| Bay of Plenty | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| Tasmania | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| Waikato | 1.7 | 1 |
| Taranaki | 1 | 0.7 |
| Canterbury | 1 | 0.7 |
| Gisborne | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| Manawatu-Whanganui | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Marlborough | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| otago | -0.1 | 0.6 |
| Hawke’s Bay | 1 | 0.5 |
| NEW ZEALAND | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Wellington | 0.3 | 0 |
| South Land | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| Nelson | -0.4 | -0.4 |
| Auckland | -0.6 | -0.5 |
| Western coast | 0.3 | -0.5 |
Components of demographic change
Nationally, annual population growth has slowed over the past two years, from 2.2% in June 2020 to 0.4% in June 2021 and 0.2% in June 2022, the lowest since the end of the 1980s.
“The slowdown in regional growth reflects what is happening at the national level, in particular the annual net loss of migration, in part due to the impact of COVID-19 on international migration,” Hennessey said.
“This net loss of migration was combined with the lowest natural increase since World War II.”
Demographic change is the result of natural increase (births minus deaths) and net migration (immigrant arrivals minus migrant departures). For sub-national areas, migration includes both outward (international) migration and internal migration (people moving between areas of New Zealand).
Internal migration was the main driver of demographic change in 12 of the 16 regions, while natural increase was the main driver in the other four. No region had international migration as the main driver of population change in the year to June 2022.
Two regions – West Coast and Marlborough – have seen a natural decrease (more deaths than births) in the year to June 2022. These regions have more elderly people, with 23% of their population aged 65 and over. more. Overall, New Zealand had 16% of its population aged 65 and over as of June 30, 2022.
| Area | Natural increase | Net internal migration | Net international migration |
| Northland | 490 | 2300 | -230 |
| Auckland | 12000 | -15000 | -5900 |
| Waikato | 2800 | 3400 | -860 |
| Bay of Plenty | 1400 | 2600 | -290 |
| Gisborne | 350 | -60 | ten |
| Hawke’s Bay | 640 | 510 | -200 |
| Taranaki | 390 | 410 | 30 |
| Manawatu-Whanganui | 790 | 650 | 0 |
| Wellington | 2100 | -550 | -1800 |
| Tasmania | 60 | 690 | -140 |
| Nelson | 30 | -130 | -120 |
| Marlborough | -ten | 220 | 80 |
| Western coast | -40 | -140 | ten |
| Canterbury | 2300 | 3600 | -1200 |
| otago | 550 | 1900 | -950 |
| South Land | 240 | -400 | 60 |
| NEW ZEALAND | 24100 | 0 | -11500 |
Auckland’s population continues to fall
Auckland’s population continued to decline in the year to June 2022, having first fallen in June 2021. In the year to June 2022, Auckland’s population decreased by 0.5%, slightly less than the 0.6% decline in 2021.
“While people leaving big cities like Auckland are nothing new, losses from internal migration have always been outweighed by gains from international migration,” Hennessey said.
“With the international migration losses now occurring, Auckland has seen an overall population loss of 8,900 people in June 2022.”
Auckland recorded an interim net loss of 15,000 people through internal migration (people moving between Auckland and other parts of New Zealand). This comes after net losses of 11,300 and 15,400 people in the previous two years. It continues a trend of net flows out of Auckland which began in the late 1990s.
In Auckland, the highest population growth rates continued to occur in local authority areas at the edge of the region, such as Papakura (up 3.9%) and Rodney (up 2.7%). ). By contrast, the central local council areas saw population declines, particularly Waitematā (down 5.8%) and Albert-Eden (down 3.1%).
Text alternative for the map Estimated change in resident population, by Auckland local council areas, 30 June 2021-30 June 2022.
The population of the districts adjacent to Auckland has also experienced significant population growth. Kaipara and Waikato districts both grew by 2.5% and Hauraki district by 1.3% in June 2022.
All estimates for 2021 and 2022 are provisional and subject to revision. Further information on the populations of regional councils, territorial authorities and local councils in Auckland can be found in Subnational population estimates: as of 30 June 2022 (provisional).
Text alternative to map Estimated resident population change, by Auckland local council area, 30 June 2021-30 June 2022
The map shows Auckland local council areas, each having a color to show the range of change in the estimated resident population during the year ending June 30, 2022. The colors are grouped in annual percentage change 2021- 2022 from: less than zero; greater than zero at 1%; greater than 1 to 2%; greater than 2 to 3%; greater than 3 percent. The annual variation ranged from 3.9% growth in the Papakura local council area to a decline of 5.8% in the Waitematā local council area. Data are available from subnational population estimates (TA, SA2), by age and sex, as of June 30, 1996-2021 (2021 boundaries).