Regions of New Zealand: population and official figures
New Zealand is divided into 16 regions. The largest by population is Auckland with 1,816,000 people (34.1% of the total); the smallest is West Coast with 34,700. Population, GDP, jobs, life expectancy, benefit numbers and council finances come from Stats NZ and the Ministry of Social Development. Stats NZ reports some regions together in its GDP and labour-force tables (Tasman with Nelson; Gisborne with Hawke's Bay; Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast).
Who governs New Zealand's regions?
Regional councils (11): Councillors elected for three years; the chair is elected by councillors. Environment, freshwater, regional transport, civil defence.
How local power works in New Zealand · Level 5: devolved and state governments worldwide
All 16 regions, largest first
| # | Region | Population | Year | Growth (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 1,816,000 | 30 June 2025 | +1.0% |
| 2 | Canterbury | 698,200 | 30 June 2025 | +1.1% |
| 3 | Wellington | 543,400 | 30 June 2025 | +0.0% |
| 4 | Waikato | 532,100 | 30 June 2025 | +1.0% |
| 5 | Bay of Plenty | 351,500 | 30 June 2025 | +0.3% |
| 6 | Manawatū-Whanganui | 260,700 | 30 June 2025 | +0.2% |
| 7 | Otago | 253,900 | 30 June 2025 | +0.6% |
| 8 | Northland | 201,100 | 30 June 2025 | +0.4% |
| 9 | Hawke's Bay | 179,700 | 30 June 2025 | -0.1% |
| 10 | Taranaki | 130,300 | 30 June 2025 | +0.0% |
| 11 | Southland | 104,800 | 30 June 2025 | +0.6% |
| 12 | Tasman | 59,900 | 30 June 2025 | +0.2% |
| 13 | Nelson | 54,300 | 30 June 2025 | -0.3% |
| 14 | Gisborne | 52,700 | 30 June 2025 | -0.1% |
| 15 | Marlborough | 50,800 | 30 June 2025 | -0.3% |
| 16 | West Coast | 34,700 | 30 June 2025 | +0.6% |
Cities: the largest cities of New Zealand.
More on New Zealand: official statistics · government and power · local power
Sources
- Stats NZ: Subnational population estimates: At 30 June 2025 (provisional), Tables 1, 3 and 5: regional council areas, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 001e8a896cfb…)
- Stats NZ: Regional gross domestic product: Year ended March 2025 (GDP by region and industry; GDP per person by region), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cca1f2f77ec7…)
- Stats NZ: Labour market statistics: June 2026 quarter, Household Labour Force Survey Tables 3 and 6 (by regional council area), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 315f48f981cb…)
- Stats NZ: National and subnational period life tables: 2022-2024, Tables 1-3: life expectancy at birth by region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b1e80765f358…)
- Ministry of Social Development: Quarterly Benefit Fact Sheets: Regional Council tables, September 2026 (working-age recipients of main benefits), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2108068006a…)
- Stats NZ: Local authority financial statistics: Year ended June 2025 (income and expenditure, by activity, financial position; nalafs-jun2025-tables-csv.csv), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b12af625c966…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.