Population of New Zealand 2026
New Zealand entered 2026 with an estimated resident population of 5,361,300 people, according to the latest figures published by Stats NZ, the country’s official government statistics agency. This figure, recorded at 31 March 2026, confirms that New Zealand’s population is still growing, though at a noticeably slower pace than during the migration surge that followed the reopening of the country’s borders in 2022. Spread across the North Island, the South Island, and a scattering of smaller islands, New Zealand remains one of the more sparsely populated countries in the developed world, yet its cities, particularly Auckland, continue to draw people in from both overseas and within the country itself.
This article breaks down the New Zealand population statistics for 2026 using verified data sourced directly from Stats NZ, covering total population growth, regional distribution, age structure, ethnicity, births and deaths, life expectancy, migration, and long-term projections. Every figure below reflects official government releases current as of 2026, giving a grounded and fact-checked picture of where New Zealand’s population stands today and where it is headed over the coming decades.
Interesting Facts About New Zealand Population 2026
| Fact | Figure (2026) |
|---|---|
| Total population | 5,361,300 (31 March 2026) |
| National population growth rate | 0.7% (year ended June 2025) |
| Median age | 38.1 years (2023 Census) |
| Live births registered (2025) | 57,705 |
| Deaths registered (2025) | 37,491 |
| Life expectancy, males | 80.4 years |
| Life expectancy, females | 83.7 years |
| Total fertility rate | 1.59 births per woman |
| Auckland Region’s share of population | 34.1% |
| Share of population living in urban areas | 84.5% |
| Population density | around 20 people per km² |
Source: Stats NZ
The headline number in any conversation about New Zealand’s population in 2026 is 5,361,300, but the figures sitting beneath it tell the more interesting story. Growth has slowed sharply to 0.7% a year, down from over 2.5% just two years earlier, and the population is ageing, with a median age of 38.1 years that keeps climbing every year. At the same time, 57,705 babies were born in 2025 against 37,491 deaths, meaning natural increase is still positive, though the total fertility rate of 1.59 sits well below the replacement level of 2.1, a trend shared with most developed economies.
Life expectancy remains high by global standards at 80.4 years for men and 83.7 years for women, and roughly one in three New Zealanders now lives in the Auckland Region, which holds 34.1% of the national population on its own. The country is also overwhelmingly urban, with 84.5% of residents living in towns and cities rather than rural areas, yet its overall population density of around 20 people per km² remains among the lowest in the OECD. Together, these figures describe a country that is growing slowly, ageing steadily, and becoming ever more concentrated around its largest city.
Total Population and Growth Rate in New Zealand 2026
Population Growth Rate (Year Ended June)
2023 |███████████████████████████ 2.5%
2024 |███████████████████ 1.7%
2025 |████████ 0.7%
| Period | Annual Growth Rate | Main Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Year ended June 2023 | 2.5% | Post-border reopening migration surge |
| Year ended June 2024 | 1.7% | Migration levels beginning to normalise |
| Year ended June 2025 | 0.7% | Migration falling closer to long-term norms |
| Year to March 2026 | Total reached 5,361,300 | 56% net migration, 44% natural increase |
Source: Stats NZ, National Population Estimates
The pace of population growth in New Zealand has cooled dramatically over the past three years. After the border reopening in 2022 triggered a wave of returning citizens and new migrants, annual growth peaked at 2.5% in the year to June 2023 before easing to 1.7% the following year and then to just 0.7% by June 2025. That slowdown reflects a normal correction after an unusually large intake rather than a sudden downturn, and it brings New Zealand’s growth rate back in line with its pre-pandemic averages.
By 31 March 2026, the estimated resident population had reached 5,361,300, with Stats NZ attributing 56% of the latest annual increase to net migration (24,300 people) and 44% to natural increase, meaning births minus deaths (19,200 people). This split matters because it shows migration has overtaken natural increase as the primary engine of population growth in New Zealand, a pattern that has held for most of the past decade and is expected to become even more pronounced as the population continues to age.
Regional Population Distribution in New Zealand 2026
Share of National Population by Region
Auckland |█████████████████████████████████ 34.1%
Canterbury |█████████████ 13.0%
Rest of NZ |████████████████████████████████████████████████ 52.9%
| Region / Area | Population Share | Growth (Year Ended June 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 34.1% of national population | 1.0% |
| Canterbury Region | 677,000 people, 13% of national total | 1.1% (fastest-growing) |
| North Island (overall) | 76.3% of national population | Moderate |
| South Island (overall) | 23.7% of national population | Slower, uneven |
| Waikato Region | Third-fastest growing region | 1.0% |
| Nelson Region | Population declining | -0.3% |
Source: Stats NZ, Subnational Population Estimates
New Zealand’s population is heavily skewed toward the north, with the North Island home to 76.3% of all residents, leaving just 23.7% on the South Island. Within that split, Auckland stands alone as the country’s demographic centre of gravity, holding 34.1% of the total population, more than double the share of the next largest region. Canterbury, anchored by Christchurch, comes in second with 677,000 people, or 13% of the national total, and it edged out both Auckland and Waikato as the fastest-growing region in the year ended June 2025 at 1.1%.
Growth is far from even across the rest of the country. Waikato grew at 1.0%, matching Auckland, largely on the back of internal migration from Aucklanders seeking cheaper housing, while regions such as Nelson actually shrank by -0.3% over the same period. This regional divergence is becoming one of the defining features of New Zealand’s demographic story in 2026, with rapid growth concentrated in a handful of North Island and Canterbury districts while several smaller regions plateau or contract.
Age Structure and Median Age in New Zealand 2026
Population Aged 65 and Over
2020 |██████████████████████████ 842,000
2028* |████████████████████████████████ 19-20% of population (projected)
| Age Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| National median age (2023 Census) | 38.1 years |
| Population aged 65+ (2020) | 842,000 |
| Share of population aged 65+ in 2022 | 16% |
| Share of population aged 65+ by 2028 (projected) | 19–20% |
| Under-25s who identify as Māori | nearly 1 in 3 |
Source: Stats NZ, National Population Projections
New Zealand’s median age has climbed to 38.1 years, up from 37.4 in the previous census, and the trend is not slowing down. The number of people aged 65 and over doubled between 1994 and 2020 to reach 842,000, and Stats NZ projections indicate that share will keep rising, from 16% of the population in 2022 to somewhere between 19% and 20% by 2028. This ageing pattern is driven by a combination of longer life expectancy and a fertility rate that no longer produces enough births to keep the age structure young.
The picture looks very different within the Māori population, which skews considerably younger than the national average. Census data shows that nearly one in three people under the age of 25 in New Zealand identify as Māori, underlining how much younger this population group is compared with the ageing European-descent majority. That gap in age structure has real implications for the future workforce, healthcare demand, and regional planning, since younger populations are concentrated in different parts of the country than the fast-ageing retiree hubs found in parts of the South Island.
Ethnic Diversity of the New Zealand Population 2026
Ethnic Group Share of Population (2023 Census)
European |████████████████████████████████████████████████ 67.8%
Māori |█████████████ 17.8%
Asian |█████████████ 17.3%
Pacific |███████ 8.9%
MELAA |█ 1.9%
| Ethnic Group (2023 Census) | Share of Population | Change Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| European | 67.8% | Largest group, slower relative growth |
| Māori | 17.8% | +111,657 people |
| Asian | 17.3% | +153,978 people, fastest numeric rise |
| Pacific peoples | 8.9% | Strong continued growth |
| MELAA | 1.9% | Smallest group, fast-growing |
Source: Stats NZ, 2023 Census of Population and Dwellings
New Zealand’s ethnic makeup continues to diversify, and the 2023 Census captured that shift clearly. European New Zealanders remain the largest group at 67.8%, but the Asian population recorded the fastest numeric growth of any group, adding 153,978 people since 2018 to reach a 17.3% share, while the Māori population grew by 111,657 people to reach 17.8%. These figures add up to more than 100% because respondents can select more than one ethnicity, a standard feature of how Stats NZ collects and reports this data.
Pacific peoples now make up 8.9% of the population, concentrated heavily in Auckland, and the smallest of the five major groups, MELAA (Middle Eastern, Latin American and African), sits at 1.9% but continues to expand quickly through both migration and births. Separately, the Māori descent population, a broader whakapapa-based measure distinct from ethnicity, reached 978,246 people in the 2023 Census, a 12.5% increase since 2018, described by Māori data leaders as a genuinely transformative shift in the country’s demographic composition.
Births and Deaths in New Zealand 2026
Births vs Deaths, Year Ended December 2025
Births |███████████████████████████████████████ 57,705
Deaths |███████████████████████████ 37,491
| Vital Statistic (Year Ended December 2025) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Live births registered | 57,705 |
| Deaths registered | 37,491 |
| Natural increase | +20,214 |
| Boys born | 29,523 |
| Girls born | 28,182 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.59 births per woman |
Source: Stats NZ, Births and Deaths: Year Ended December 2025
New Zealand registered 57,705 live births in 2025, a drop of 636 babies from the year before, continuing a slow decline that has kept annual birth registrations below 60,000 since 2016. Against 37,491 deaths, this left a natural increase of 20,214 people, meaning births still comfortably outnumber deaths nationally, even as the gap narrows year on year. Of those births, 29,523 were boys and 28,182 were girls, a split that sits close to the long-term average of roughly 51% male to 49% female.
The total fertility rate of 1.59 births per woman remains well under the replacement level of 2.1, meaning the current generation of parents is not producing enough children to replace itself without migration filling the gap. Regional variation is significant here too, with Gisborne and Northland recording some of the highest fertility rates in the country at over 2.1 births per woman, while the median age of mothers giving birth has climbed to 31.3 years nationally, a shift toward later childbearing that is itself contributing to the slowing birth rate.
Life Expectancy in New Zealand 2026
Life Expectancy at Birth (2023-2025 Period)
Males |████████████████████████████████████████ 80.4 years
Females |█████████████████████████████████████████ 83.7 years
| Life Expectancy Measure | Years |
|---|---|
| Newborn boys (2023–2025) | 80.4 years |
| Newborn girls (2023–2025) | 83.7 years |
| Increase vs 2022–2024, males | +0.3 years |
| Increase vs 2022–2024, females | +0.3 years |
| Projected male life expectancy by 2053 | 85.2 years |
| Projected female life expectancy by 2053 | 88.0 years |
Source: Stats NZ, Abridged Period Life Table 2023–2025
Life expectancy in New Zealand continues its gradual climb, with the latest abridged period life table showing a newborn boy can expect to live 80.4 years and a newborn girl 83.7 years, both up 0.3 years on the previous period. These figures place New Zealand among the higher-ranking countries globally for life expectancy, reflecting decades of improving healthcare access, declining smoking rates, and better management of chronic disease, though a persistent gap of roughly 3.3 years between men and women remains consistent with patterns seen across most developed nations.
Looking further ahead, Stats NZ’s medium mortality assumption projects life expectancy will keep rising, reaching 85.2 years for men and 88.0 years for women by 2053. That projected gain of around four years per sex over the next three decades has direct consequences for retirement planning, healthcare funding, and the shape of the age pyramid discussed earlier, since a longer-living population combined with a shrinking birth rate accelerates the overall ageing of the country.
International Migration Trends in New Zealand 2026
Contribution to Population Growth (Year to March 2026)
Net Migration |████████████████████████████ 56% (24,300 people)
Natural Increase |███████████████████████ 44% (19,200 people)
| Migration Indicator (Year to March 2026) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Net migration contribution to growth | 24,300 people (56%) |
| Natural increase contribution to growth | 19,200 people (44%) |
| Auckland international migration gain (year to June 2025) | +9,500 |
| Auckland internal migration loss (year to June 2025) | -3,200 |
| Auckland natural increase (year to June 2025) | +11,400 |
Source: Stats NZ, National Population Estimates: At 31 March 2026
Net migration has firmly overtaken natural increase as the leading driver of population growth in New Zealand, contributing 24,300 people, or 56% of the total increase, in the year to March 2026, compared with 19,200 people, or 44%, from natural increase. This marks a structural shift for a country that historically relied more evenly on births to grow its population, and it means immigration policy now plays an outsized role in shaping how fast, and where, New Zealand’s population expands.
Auckland illustrates this dynamic clearly at the regional level. In the year to June 2025, the region gained 9,500 people through international migration and a further 11,400 through natural increase, but it simultaneously lost 3,200 residents to other parts of the country through internal migration, as rising living costs push some Aucklanders toward more affordable regions such as Waikato and Canterbury. This mix of strong international inflows offsetting internal outflows is becoming a defining feature of how New Zealand’s biggest city sustains its growth.
Urban and Rural Population Split in New Zealand 2026
Settlement Pattern, June 2025
Urban areas overall |██████████████████████████████████████████ 84.5%
20 main urban areas (30k+) |██████████████████████████████████ 65.0%
Four largest cities |█████████████████████ 44.3%
| Settlement Pattern (June 2025) | Share / Figure |
|---|---|
| Living in urban areas overall | 84.5% |
| Living in the 20 main urban areas (30,000+ population) | 65.0% |
| Living in the four largest cities combined | 44.3% |
| Auckland urban area | over 1.6 million residents |
| Christchurch urban area | around 410,000+ residents |
| Wellington City | around 215,400 residents |
| Hamilton Urban Zone | around 203,100 residents |
Source: Stats NZ, Urban Area Population Estimates
New Zealand is a predominantly urban country, with 84.5% of the population living in a defined urban area as of June 2025, and 65.0% concentrated in just the twenty largest urban centres nationwide. The country’s four biggest cities, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, and Hamilton, together house 44.3% of all New Zealanders, underscoring just how much of the country’s population and economic activity is packed into a small number of urban footprints relative to the total land area.
Auckland alone accounts for well over 1.6 million urban residents, making it not just the country’s largest city but also one of its most densely populated urban zones, while Christchurch trails as the largest South Island centre with over 410,000 people. Wellington City, the capital, sits at around 215,400 residents, and the Hamilton Urban Zone follows closely at roughly 203,100, together forming the backbone of a settlement pattern where most growth, investment, and infrastructure spending is directed toward a handful of well-established urban centres rather than spread evenly across the country.
Future Population Projections for New Zealand 2026
Population Projection Milestones
2030 |███████████████████████████ 5.2-5.9 million (range)
2050 |█████████████████████████████████ ~6 million
2073 |████████████████████████████████████████ 5.3-8.5 million (range)
| Projection Milestone | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Population by 2030 | 5.2–5.9 million |
| Population around 2050 | approximately 6 million |
| Population by 2073 (range) | 5.3–8.5 million |
| Share aged 65+ by 2028 | 19–20% |
| Average annual net migration, 2023–2053 (medium assumption) | 39,700 |
| Long-term median fertility rate assumption | 1.55 births per woman |
Source: Stats NZ, National Population Projections: 2023(base)–2078
According to Stats NZ’s medium projection series, New Zealand’s population is expected to sit somewhere between 5.2 million and 5.9 million by 2030, and could reach roughly 6 million by around 2050, depending heavily on how migration and birth rates evolve over the next two decades. Longer-range projections stretch out to 2073, with a wide plausible range of 5.3 million to 8.5 million, reflecting just how much uncertainty builds up over a fifty-year horizon once assumptions about migration, fertility, and mortality are compounded.
The medium migration assumption underpinning these projections assumes average annual net migration of 39,700 people between 2023 and 2053, notably higher than the 24,100 assumed in earlier projection rounds, reflecting New Zealand’s growing reliance on migration for population growth. At the same time, the long-term median fertility rate assumption sits at just 1.55 births per woman, reinforcing that natural increase alone will not sustain population growth going forward, and that the share of New Zealanders aged 65 and over will keep climbing toward 19–20% by 2028 and well beyond in the decades that follow.
Taken together, these projections show a country whose future size depends more on immigration policy than on birth rates, since fertility assumptions stay fairly stable across the low, medium, and high scenarios while migration assumptions vary widely. New Zealand’s population in 2026 is best read as a snapshot of a trajectory still in motion.
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