Government budget and revenue in Wellington, New Zealand: official figures
In the year ended June 2025, Wellington City Council had operating income of NZ$821.21 million and operating expenditure of NZ$923.68 million, an operating deficit of NZ$102.48 million (Stats NZ local authority financial statistics; the council alone, so council-owned companies and trusts are not included). This is NZ$4,382 of operating spending per resident. That is the highest spending per resident of 9 cities and districts covered on this site.
How much does Wellington City Council collect in rates?
Wellington City Council collected NZ$538.42 million in rates in the year ended June 2025 (+17.3% on the year before), which is NZ$2,554 per resident and 65.6% of operating income. That is the highest rates per resident of 9 cities and districts covered on this site.
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyHow much debt does Wellington City Council have?
The debt of Wellington City Council (term debt plus current debt) at 30 June 2025 was NZ$2.0 billion, or NZ$9,269 per resident, against total assets of NZ$12.3 billion and total equity of NZ$10.2 billion. That is the highest debt per resident of 9 cities and districts covered on this site.
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyHow much does Wellington City Council spend on capital projects?
Wellington City Council spent NZ$265.13 million on additions to fixed assets (buildings, roads, pipes and other capital works) in the year ended June 2025, which is NZ$1,258 per resident. That is 3rd lowest capital spending per resident of 9 cities and districts covered on this site.
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyHow much does Wellington City Council spend on staff?
Employee costs came to NZ$164.47 million (18% of operating expenditure) for Wellington City Council in the year ended June 2025. That is the highest staff cost per resident of 9 cities and districts covered on this site.
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyWhat does Wellington City Council spend money on?
The council activities with the highest operating expenditure in the year ended June 2025 were water supply (NZ$140.66 million), property (NZ$112.18 million), wastewater (NZ$87.36 million), roading (NZ$87.13 million) (Wellington City Council).
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyHow much does Wellington City Council spend on water and wastewater?
Wellington City Council spent NZ$228.01 million operating its water supply and wastewater services in the year ended June 2025 (water supply NZ$140.66 million, wastewater NZ$87.36 million).
Source: Stats NZ · saved copyHow Wellington compares with other cities in New Zealand
Council operating spending per resident (Year ended June 2025)
Wellington ranks 1 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | City | Council operating spending per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellington | NZ$4,382 |
| 2 | Tauranga | NZ$3,290 |
| 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 |
Rates per resident (Year ended June 2025)
Wellington ranks 1 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | City | Rates per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellington | NZ$2,554 |
| 2 | Tauranga | NZ$1,896 |
| 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 |
Council debt per resident (30 June 2025)
Wellington ranks 1 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | City | Council debt per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellington | NZ$9,269 |
| 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 |
More on Wellington: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · all cities in New Zealand
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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