Close to 65,000 homes have been built in the Auckland region since 2018, last year's Census data shows, outpacing population growth for the first time in decades.

Census 2023 data showed between 2018 and 2023, 64,800 new homes were built in Auckland.

Auckland Council said that was due to the introduction of the Auckland Unitary Plan.

The plan was a guide for the use of Auckland's resources, including land development, and dictates what can be built and where.

Auckland Council chief economist Gary Blick said the plan had made changes to boost housing capacity in the region.

The data showed there had been an 11.9 percent increase in new homes since 2018, while the population had increased by 5.4 percent.

"Even after recovering from the pandemic-related population loss over 2020 to 2022, this confirms what we've seen in building consent data and population estimates - Auckland has built a lot of homes in recent years relative to its population growth," Blick said.

Auckland Council chief economist Gary Blick. Photo: Supplied/Auckland Council

"The new census results are also consistent with University of Auckland research, showing that the Unitary Plan has led to more housing choice and more new homes than would otherwise have been the case."

The surge in new houses had "helped" housing affordability, Blick said, but he noted that housing in Auckland was still expensive relative to incomes.

Census data had also shown Auckland had the highest growth in new housing in New Zealand, far surpassing any other region.

The next closest was Canterbury with almost 26,000 new homes being built.