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Population growth

Social and economic indicators
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Why we monitor population growth

Knowing where our region's population is increasing or declining, and by how much, helps us understand the pressures on our natural environment. These pressures include the need for access to resources such as water and roads, which in turn affects local employment opportunities.

This indicator monitors the number of people in our region and the growth of our region's population over five-year periods. The indicator also sets out this information at district level.

What's happening?

There were 458,202 people usually resident in the Waikato region as at the 2018 census. This is an increase of 54,561 (13.5 per cent) since the 2013 census.

Results - data and trends

The Census data were collected on April 3, 1991, March 5, 1996, March 6, 2001, March 5, 2006, March 5, 2013 and March 5 2018.

The dashboard below shows the population structure by age and gender for both total and Māori population. Also, the visuals indicate that population number changes since 1996 in the districts of Waikato region.

  • The population in the Waikato region grew faster than the national average between 2013 and 2018. The per cent change was calculated using current boundaries so is not affected by boundary changes in the former Franklin District in 2010.
  • The Waikato population growth rate increased from 8 per cent from 2006-13 to 12 per cent from 2013 to 2018. Expressed as an annual average, the growth rates were 0.8 and 1.2 per cent respectively. The national average population growth rate increased from 5.8 per cent (0.8 per cent annually) to 9.3 per cent (0.9 per cent annually) over the same periods.
  • Waikato District population grew the fastest (19.3 per cent) between 2013 and 2018. Thames Coromandel District grew 14.2 per cent and Waipā District, 14.1 per cent. The lowest growth rate was in Waitomo District, where the population decreased by 5 per cent. South Waikato District decreased by 2.5 per cent. Ōtorohanga District saw population decline in previous periods but grew 0.7 per cent between 2006 and 2013.

Look at our 'Population structure' indicator for more information that relates to this indicator.

Source: Census 2018

Methods - how we monitor

More information

When this indicator is updated

The indicator is updated every five years. The next update is due in 2024 using results from the 2023 Census.

Last updated July 2023

Footnotes

  1. Copyright: Information obtained from Statistics New Zealand may be freely used, reproduced, or quoted unless otherwise specified. In all cases Statistics New Zealand must be acknowledged as the source.