Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2026

Subnational population estimates provide the best available measure of the population usually living in New Zealand, by age and sex, and by the 67 territorial authority and 21 Auckland local board areas.

On this page

• Key facts
• Selwyn district continues to have high growth
• Auckland local boards and South Island territorial authorities dominate areas with high population growth
• Auckland is home to 1.84 million people
• Six cities have population decline
• Key drivers of population change
• More geographic breakdowns available in November 2026
• Method of estimation
• Updates to migration and population estimates
• Glossary
• More data

Key facts

In the June 2026 year, provisional estimates of the population usually living in each territorial authority (TA) and Auckland local board area (ALB), collectively called territorial authority local boards (TALBs), indicate:

• two-thirds (57 out of 87) of TALBs experienced population growth
• around half of TALBs had faster population growth than in 2025, with national population growth increasing slightly from 0.6 percent in the year ending June 2025, to 0.7 percent in the year ending June 2026
• TALBs with slower growth than in 2025 generally had higher proportions of people aged 65 years or older
• Selwyn district was the fastest-growing TALB (up 2.9 percent)
• other fast-growing TALBs were Māngere-Ōtāhuhu and Papakura ALBs (each up 2.3 percent), Ōtara-Papatoetoe ALB (up 2.1 percent), and Henderson-Massey ALB (up 2 percent)
• the ten fastest-growing TALBs in the June 2026 year were all in Auckland or the South Island.

Text alternative for map, Estimated resident population change, by territorial authority and Auckland local board area, year ended June 2026 (provisional)

Selwyn district continues to have high growth

Selwyn district was the fastest-growing TALB in the June 2026 year, growing by 2.9 percent to reach 90,800 people. Selwyn was also the fastest-growing district in the June 2025 year, when it grew by 3.2 percent to 88,200 people.

Much of Selwyn's population growth came from people moving there from other parts of New Zealand (a net internal migration gain of 1,800). Selwyn had a small net international migration gain of 30. Natural increase (births minus deaths) of 730 also contributed to Selwyn's growth.

Auckland local boards and South Island territorial authorities dominate areas with high population growth

Of the 25 fastest-growing TALBs, 12 were Auckland local boards, nine were South Island TAs, and four were North Island TAs. These areas grew by around 1 percent or more in the June 2026 year, compared with 0.7 percent for New Zealand as a whole.

Areas with the fastest growth generally had higher net migration gains (internal and international) and higher natural increase, although some had losses in one component (generally internal or international migration). For example, Māngere-Ōtāhuhu ALB was the second fastest-growing area but had an internal migration loss of 220. This was balanced by an international migration gain of 1,500 and natural increase of 740.

Auckland is home to 1.84 million people

Auckland's population grew by 1.2 percent (22,700 people) in the June 2026 year, to 1,841,200. Growth from net migration (11,900) was slightly higher than growth from natural increase (10,800). However, the net international migration gain (13,000) was slightly offset by a net internal migration loss (-1,100), meaning that more people moved out of Auckland to other parts of New Zealand than moved in.

The population grew in 18 of the 21 Auckland local board areas (ALBs) in the June 2026 year, with small decreases in Ōrākei (-0.4 percent), Aotea/Great Barrier (-0.7 percent), and Waiheke (-1.4 percent).

Of the 21 ALBs, 11 areas had internal migration losses (eight had gains and two had essentially no net gain), noting that this includes people moving to other ALBs as well as other TAs. The largest net internal migration loss was in Waitematā (-2,400), while the largest gain was in Franklin (840).

In comparison, only four ALBs had net international migration losses (15 had gains and two had essentially no net gain). The largest net international migration loss was in Ōrakei (-310), while the largest gain was in Waitematā (3,000).

All but two ALBs had natural increase, with Aotea/Great Barrier and Waiheke having essentially equal numbers of births and deaths. The largest natural increase was in Henderson-Massey (1,300 more births than deaths).

Six cities have population decline

New Zealand has 13 cities - 12 territorial authority areas listed as city councils and Auckland. Of these, six experienced population loss in the June 2026 year. Auckland and a further six cities experienced population growth. In comparison, five cities had population decline in 2025, while two remained largely unchanged. In 2024, all cities had population growth.

Wellington city had the largest population decrease (-0.6 percent) in the June 2026 year, followed by Dunedin (-0.5 percent), Nelson, Palmerston North, and Napier (-0.2 percent each), and Porirua (-0.1 percent).

Auckland was the fastest-growing city in the June 2026 year (1.2 percent), followed by Hamilton (1.0 percent) and Christchurch (0.9 percent).

Outside of Auckland, Christchurch is New Zealand's largest city, reaching 422,400 people at 30 June 2026, followed by Wellington (208,300) and Hamilton (193,300). Subnational population projections indicate that Hamilton could become New Zealand's third largest city around the late 2030s.

Nine cities had net internal migration losses in 2026 (and four had gains). The largest net internal migration loss was in Hamilton (-1,300), while the largest net internal migration gain was in Christchurch (1,500).

In comparison, only four cities had net international migration losses (and nine had gains). The largest net international migration loss was in Wellington city (-1,300), while the largest gain was in Auckland (13,000), followed by Hamilton (1,900).

All but three cities had natural increase. The largest natural increase was in Auckland, where there were 10,800 more births than deaths, followed by Hamilton (1,300 more births than deaths). Nelson and Dunedin had the largest natural decreases, each with 90 more deaths than births. Napier had a small natural decrease (10 more deaths than births).

Key drivers of population change

Subnational population change is driven by three key components: natural increase (or decrease), internal migration, and international migration. These components are effectively independent of each other, and each can result in either population decrease or increase. Therefore, it's important to consider the combined effect of all these components when assessing population change.

In the June 2026 year, natural increase of 18,700 contributed to New Zealand's population growth slightly more than net migration of 17,600, although natural increase was the lowest increase since the early 1940s, during World War II.

Internal migration

Based on provisional net internal migration estimates for the June 2026 year, of New Zealand's 87 TALBs:

• 36 had net gains, with more people moving into the area from elsewhere in New Zealand (compared with 42 in the June 2025 year)
• 46 had net losses (compared with 43 in 2025)
• 5 had essentially zero net gain (2 in 2025).

Selwyn district had the largest net internal migration gain in the June 2026 year (1,800), followed by Christchurch city (1,500), while Waitematā local board area had the largest net loss (-2,400).

International migration

Based on provisional net international migration estimates for the June 2026 year, of New Zealand's 87 TALBs:

• 57 had net gains, with more migrant arrivals than migrant departures (compared with 54 in the June 2025 year)
• 24 had net losses (31 in 2025)
• 6 had essentially zero net gain (2 in 2025).

Waitematā local board area had the largest net international migration gain in the June 2026 year (3,000), followed by Hamilton city (1,900), while Wellington city had the largest net migration loss (-1,300).

Natural increase

Based on provisional natural increase estimates for the June 2026 year, of New Zealand's 87 TALBs:

• 64 had natural increase with more births than deaths, the same as in the June 2025 year
• 18 had natural decrease (16 in 2025)
• 5 had essentially zero net gain (7 in 2025).

Hamilton city and Henderson-Massey local board area both had the largest natural increase in the June 2026 year (each had 1,300 more births than deaths), followed by Manurewa local board area (1,200). Kapiti Coast district had the largest natural decrease (-200), followed by Thames-Coromandel district (-160).

More geographic breakdowns available in November 2026

Data for additional geographic breakdowns will be published in Aotearoa Data Explorer on 25 November 2026. These include subnational population estimates for Statistical Area 2 and 3, regional council areas, health regions and districts, urban rural and functional urban areas, and community board, ward, constituency, and subdivision areas.

Method of estimation

TALB population estimates are derived using a cohort component method. The current starting point is population estimates at 30 June 2023 based on the 2023 Census of Population and Dwellings : At 30 June 2023). Estimates after 30 June 2023 are updated to account for births, deaths, and net migration after 30 June 2023.

Births, deaths, and net migration are estimates of the number of events that occurred during the current year ended 30 June. The contributions of net internal and net international migration to population change for TALB areas are estimated independently, and each type of net migration is calculated as the difference between in- and out-migration.

The subnational estimates are constrained to agree with the corresponding national estimated resident population at the time of publication.

DataInfo+ has more information on methodology used to calculate subnational population estimates.

Subnational migration estimates for territorial authority and Auckland local board areas at 30 June: Data sources and methods provides an indication of the data sources and methods used to produce internal and international migration.

Updates to migration and population estimates

New Zealand's net international migration in the years ended June 2025 and 2026 were provisionally estimated at 10,300 and 17,600 respectively (consistent with the National population estimates: At 30 June 2026 published on 18 August 2026). These international migration estimates differ slightly from the latest available international migration estimates, which are revised monthly. The monthly estimates are available in Infoshare > Tourism > International Travel and Migration > 'Estimated migration by direction, 12/16-month rule'.

These subnational population estimates may also differ slightly from subsequent national population estimates, which are revised quarterly (next release 17 November 2026).

Subnational population estimates are currently updated annually. Estimates for 2025 and 2026 will be updated when the 2027 estimates are published in October 2027. All population estimates after June 2023 will also be rebased when new information is available from a new census.

Glossary

Net internal migration: the number of people who have arrived to live in an area from other areas of New Zealand, minus those who have left that area to live in other areas of New Zealand.

Net international migration: the number of migrant arrivals into New Zealand, minus the number of migrant departures out of New Zealand.

Natural increase/decrease: the difference between (live) births and deaths. Natural increase refers to more births than deaths. Natural decrease refers to more deaths than births.

TALBs: territorial authority areas and Auckland local board areas. Separately territorial authority areas are referred to as TAs, and Auckland local board areas as ALBs, but when combined, they are referred to as TALBs.

Text alternative for map, Estimated resident population change, by territorial authority and Auckland local board area, year ended June 2026 (provisional)

The map shows the territorial authority and Auckland local board areas, each assigned a colour to show the range of change in the estimated resident population in the year ended 30 June 2026. The colours are grouped into annual percent change of: less than negative 1.0 percent; negative 1.0 to less than negative 0.2 percent; negative 0.2 percent to less than 0.2 percent; 0.2 percent to less than 1.1 percent; 1.1 percent to less than 2.0 percent; 2.0 percent to less than 2.8 percent; and 2.8 percent or higher. The annual change ranged from 2.9 percent growth in Selwyn district to 1.4 percent decline in Waiheke local board area.

More data

Subnational population estimates tables are available in our free online tool Infoshare. Select the following categories:

Subject category: Population
Group: Population estimates - DPE

Access data in Aotearoa Data Explorer

Aotearoa Data Explorer - Subnational population estimates can be used to view and download tables with data for territorial authority and Auckland local board areas, and the associated components of change.

How to use Aotearoa Data Explorer contains video tutorials and a user guide.

Subnational population estimates by Statistical Area 2 and 3, regional council areas, health regions and districts, urban rural and functional urban areas, and community board, ward, constituency, and subdivision areas will be released on 25 November 2026.

Definitions and metadata

Subnational population estimates - DataInfo+ gives the general methodology used to produce subnational population estimates statistics.

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Technical enquiries

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Next releases

Supplementary tables for Subnational population estimates: At 30 June 2026 will be released on 25 November 2026.

Subnational population estimates: At 30 June 2027 will be released in October 2027.