Population structure

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Why we monitor population structure

Knowing about the structure of our region's population helps us anticipate infrastructure needs around the region. For example, large numbers of children in an area will create a demand for schools and parks with adventure playgrounds. Areas with older residents may need parks with more sedentary activities available, or better public transport services.

What's happening?

Our region's general population is ageing, with a bulge of people in the 40 to 55-year age group. About half (53 per cent) of the people living in our region are aged 35 years and older. In 2001 only 49 per cent of residents were over 35 years.

While there are more females than males overall (100 females per 98 males), there are more males than females under 25 years old (100 males to 96 females). The difference is largest in the over-85-years age group where there are only 62 males per 100 females.

In 1991, 18 per cent of the Waikato region's population identified as belonging to the Māori ethnic group. This increased to 23.5 per cent in 2018. Our region's Māori population is youthful - 57 per cent of Māori are less than 30 years old, and 64 per cent are less than 35 years old.

What Waikato Regional Council is doing

  • Waikato Regional Council monitors population structure and assesses how this affects our environment.
  • We monitor the ecological footprint of Waikato’s population and encourage people to live more sustainably.
  • We work with the district and city councils in our region to ensure that infrastructure services have only a minimal effect on the environment.
  • We work with communities, district and city councils and other agencies to develop sustainable development strategies that will build a prosperous economy based on a healthy environment and a healthy society.

Results - data and trends

The Census data were collected on April 3, 1991, March 5, 1996, March 6, 2001, March 7, 2006 , March 6, 2013 and March 5, 2018

This indicator assumes residents aged from 15 to 59 years work and provide support services for the rest of the community. Other residents are assumed to be too young (youthful) or too old (ageing) to work and are ‘dependent’ on the working age population.

The number of ‘dependent’ people and whether they are youthful or ageing, determines the services and resources that the working age population needs to provide. These are described as ‘dependency ratios’ for the Waikato region.

The table below shows the dependency ratios per 100 people aged 15-59 years.

These ratios indicate that:

  • in the general population, older people make up more than half of all dependent people
  • in the Māori population, most dependents are young people, older people comprise only one-fifth of the dependent people.

 

Type of ‘dependent’

General population
(per 100 people aged 15-60)  

Māori population
(per 100 people aged 15-60)  

Youthful (14 years and younger)  

 36

57

Ageing (60 years and older)

 38

17

Total 'dependent'

 74

74

Look at the 'Population growth' indicator for more related information.

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

Further indicator developments

No changes are planned for this indicator.

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.