NZ Population Surpasses 5.3 Million

Aotearoa New Zealand's estimated resident population was 5,311,100 as at 31 December 2024, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

These are the first population estimates to fully incorporate the 2023 Census and 2023 Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) results. Estimates back to 2018 have now been revised, and estimates after 30 June 2023 will now use the 2023-base estimated resident population as a starting point.

"Census data and the coverage results from the PES are used to recalibrate national and subnational population estimates," population estimates, projections, and coverage spokesperson Victoria Treliving said.

"This recalibration ensures the population estimates are the best-possible measure of how many people live in communities across the country."

The population has grown from 4.94 million in December 2018, as estimated after the 2018 Census. Since then, the population has increased by 374,400 people, or an average annual increase of 1.2 percent each year. Growth over the previous 20 years (1999 to 2018) averaged 1.3 percent a year.

"The increase in population since 2018 is roughly equivalent to adding two cities the size of Hamilton," Treliving said.

Natural increase (births minus deaths) and net migration (international arrivals minus international departures) contribute to New Zealand's population change.

"Natural increase has been a steady contributor to population growth historically, but it has declined over the last decade as the population ages," Treliving said.

"In contrast, net migration has been the main contributor to New Zealand's population growth over the last decade but has fluctuated widely."

Māori descent population passes 1 million in 2023

There were just over 1 million people of Māori descent living in Aotearoa New Zealand at 30 June 2023 (1,036,000 people). Māori descent population estimates are published following each census, with a reference period of 30 June of each census year.

"Latest estimates show that 1 in 5 people in Aotearoa New Zealand are of Māori descent," Treliving said.

Between 2018 and 2023, the Māori descent population increased by an average of 1.9 percent each year, compared with 1.2 percent for the total population.

"People of Māori descent are younger on average than people who are not of Māori descent," Treliving said.

"Two in 3 people of Māori descent are under the age of 40, compared with around 1 in 2 for the population not of Māori descent."

Population estimates for Māori as at 30 June 2023 are available for both Māori descent and Māori ethnicity. The two concepts are closely related but not the same. Māori descent is based on whakapapa, while Māori ethnicity is a self-determined cultural affiliation.

All ethnic group populations increase in size

The populations of the major ethnic groups grew between June 2018 and June 2023:

• 'European or Other (including New Zealander)' ethnic population increased by an average of 0.3 percent per year to 3,493,800.
• Māori ethnic population increased by 2.2 percent per year to 911,200.
• Pacific ethnic population increased by 2.6 percent per year to 464,200.
• Asian ethnic population increased by 4.8 percent per year to 973,700.
• Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African (MELAA) ethnic population grew by 6.1 percent per year to 103,700.

People can, and do, belong to more than one ethnic group. People who belong to more than one ethnicity are included in each ethnic group they identified with.

"There are more people in the country who identify with multiple ethnicities, with 1 in 8 people in 2023 belonging to more than one of the major ethnic groups compared with 1 in 9 in 2018," Treliving said.

"Younger people are also more likely to have multiple ethnicities, with a reason for this including an increased number of children having parents with different ethnicities."

Population growth for different ethnic groups reflects different combinations of birth rates, migration rates, and age structures. Both the Asian and MELAA major ethnic groups have higher proportions of people aged in their twenties to forties, for example.