Population of New Zealand
As of April 2025, the population of New Zealand is 5.3 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 40 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 0.77%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 36.3 years in 2015 to 37.5 years in 2025. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 83.4 years and population density is 20 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Population Growth
The population growth rate of New Zealand peaked in 1990, reaching around 3.09% annually, but has since declined to approximately 0.76% in 2025. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 134.92 thousand in 2019 to nearly 40.25 thousand in 2025.
Life Expectancy
In New Zealand, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 80.1 years in 2005 to 83.4 years in 2025, representing an increase of more than 3 years over the past 2 decades.
Most populous cities in New Zealand
The cities of New Zealand are mostly small, but 9 stand out with more than 100 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Auckland, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 1.5 million inhabitants. It is followed by Christchurch, Canterbury with 415.1 thousand and Wellington, Wellington Region with 381.9 thousand.
These are the 20 most populous cities in New Zealand:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 1,531,400 |
| 2 | Christchurch, Canterbury | 415,100 |
| 3 | Wellington, Wellington Region | 381,900 |
| 4 | Manukau City, Auckland | 362,000 |
| 5 | North Shore, Auckland | 207,865 |
| 6 | Hamilton, Waikato Region | 192,000 |
| 7 | Tauranga, Bay of Plenty | 155,200 |
| 8 | Dunedin, Otago | 136,000 |
| 9 | Lower Hutt, Wellington Region | 114,000 |
| 10 | Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui | 92,500 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Hastings, Hawke's Bay Region | 90,600 |
| 12 | New Plymouth, Taranaki Region | 87,300 |
| 13 | Napier, Hawke's Bay Region | 67,500 |
| 14 | Rotorua, Bay of Plenty | 65,901 |
| 15 | Porirua, Wellington Region | 62,400 |
| 16 | Invercargill, Southland | 58,600 |
| 17 | Nelson, Nelson Region | 55,200 |
| 18 | Whangarei, Northland | 50,900 |
| 19 | Papatoetoe, Auckland | 49,130 |
| 20 | Whanganui, Manawatu-Wanganui | 48,900 |