Government budget and revenue in Hamilton, New Zealand: official figures
In the year ended June 2025, Hamilton City Council had operating income of NZ$417.63 million and operating expenditure of NZ$453.17 million, an operating deficit of NZ$35.54 million (Stats NZ local authority financial statistics; the council alone, so council-owned companies and trusts are not included). This is NZ$2,359 of operating spending per resident. That is 3rd lowest spending per resident of 9 cities and districts covered on this site.
How much does Hamilton City Council collect in rates?
Hamilton City Council collected NZ$305.01 million in rates in the year ended June 2025 (+19.2% on the year before), which is NZ$1,588 per resident and 73.0% of operating income. That is 4th lowest rates per resident of 9 cities and districts covered on this site.
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyHow much debt does Hamilton City Council have?
The debt of Hamilton City Council (term debt plus current debt) at 30 June 2025 was NZ$1.2 billion, or NZ$6,148 per resident, against total assets of NZ$7.2 billion and total equity of NZ$5.9 billion. That is 5th highest debt per resident of 9 cities and districts covered on this site.
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyHow much does Hamilton City Council spend on capital projects?
Hamilton City Council spent NZ$498.46 million on additions to fixed assets (buildings, roads, pipes and other capital works) in the year ended June 2025, which is NZ$2,595 per resident. That is the highest capital spending per resident of 9 cities and districts covered on this site.
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyHow much does Hamilton City Council spend on staff?
Employee costs came to NZ$127.87 million (28% of operating expenditure) for Hamilton City Council in the year ended June 2025. That is 4th highest staff cost per resident of 9 cities and districts covered on this site.
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyWhat does Hamilton City Council spend money on?
The council activities with the highest operating expenditure in the year ended June 2025 were roading (NZ$115.72 million), wastewater (NZ$71.24 million), recreation and sport (NZ$68.05 million), culture (NZ$32.60 million) (Hamilton City Council).
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyHow much does Hamilton City Council spend on water and wastewater?
Hamilton City Council spent NZ$102.09 million operating its water supply and wastewater services in the year ended June 2025 (water supply NZ$30.85 million, wastewater NZ$71.24 million).
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyHow Hamilton compares with other cities in New Zealand
Council operating spending per resident (Year ended June 2025)
Hamilton ranks 7 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | City | Council operating spending per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Dunedin | NZ$2,876 |
| 4 | Lower Hutt | NZ$2,853 |
| 5 | Napier-Hastings | NZ$2,846 |
| 6 | Christchurch | NZ$2,695 |
| 7 | Hamilton | NZ$2,359 |
| 8 | Whangarei District | NZ$2,311 |
| 9 | Auckland | NZ$1,943 |
Rates per resident (Year ended June 2025)
Hamilton ranks 6 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | City | Rates per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Christchurch | NZ$1,817 |
| 4 | Dunedin | NZ$1,806 |
| 5 | Lower Hutt | NZ$1,657 |
| 6 | Hamilton | NZ$1,588 |
| 7 | Auckland | NZ$1,536 |
| 8 | Napier-Hastings | NZ$1,515 |
| 9 | Whangarei District | NZ$1,328 |
Council debt per resident (30 June 2025)
Hamilton ranks 5 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | City | Council debt per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Tauranga | NZ$8,744 |
| 3 | Auckland | NZ$7,966 |
| 4 | Christchurch | NZ$6,786 |
| 5 | Hamilton | NZ$6,148 |
| 6 | Lower Hutt | NZ$5,006 |
| 7 | Dunedin | NZ$4,947 |
| 8 | Napier-Hastings | NZ$3,476 |
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Sources
- Stats NZ: Local authority financial statistics: Year ended June 2025 (CSV), read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b12af625c966…)
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