Distribution of the population

Over three-quarters (76 percent) of the population live in the North Island, and one-third (33 percent) lives in the Auckland region.

Population growth in the Auckland region accounted for almost half (46 percent) of New Zealand’s total population growth between June 2008 and June 2009. The majority (70 percent) of the Auckland region’s population growth over the year to June 2009 was attributable to natural increase.

The Māori population is heavily concentrated in the North Island (87 percent), but only 24 percent of Māori lived in the Auckland region at the 2006 Census.

The New Zealand population is highly urbanised. At the 2006 Census, 86 percent of the population was living in an urban area. This includes 72 percent living in main urban areas (population of 30,000 or more), 6 percent living in secondary urban areas (10,000–29,999) and 8 percent living in minor urban areas (1,000–9,999).

There are marked ethnic differences in urbanisation, with the vast majority of Pacific peoples, Asian and Other ethnic groups living in main urban areas and very few in rural areas.

Table P3 Urban and rural residence (%), by ethnic group, 2006

	European	Māori	Pacific peoples	Asian	Other	Total
Main urban area (30,000+)	69	65	92	94	91	72
Secondary urban area (10,000–29,999)	7	7	3	2	2	6
Minor urban area (1,000–9,999)	9	13	2	2	3	8
Total urban	84	84	97	98	96	86
Rural	16	16	2	2	4	14
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100

Source: Statistics New Zealand, 2006 Census, unpublished data
Notes: (1) “New Zealander” is included in European. (2) Middle Eastern, Latin American and African groups are included in Other.

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