Population growth slowed in all 16 regions in the year to 30 June 2025.

New Zealand’s resident population up 0.7 percent to 5.3 million, a shift that matters for Auckland households and businesses planning around housing, jobs, and transport on the Hibiscus Coast.

“Lower net migration gains in the June 2025 year led to slower population growth across all regions,” population estimates, projections, and coverage spokesperson Victoria Treliving said.

All regions recorded lower net migration gains than the year before, and seven recorded net migration losses.

“The six slowest growing regions all experienced net migration losses in the last year,” Treliving said.

Wellington provisionally had the largest net migration loss (1,700), driven by moves overseas rather than to other parts of New Zealand.

Auckland’s population surpassed 1.8 million, rising by 17,700 to an estimated 1,816,000.

Auckland posted the largest net migration gain (6,300), far below the June 2024 year (32,000).

A net internal migration loss of 3,200 was outweighed by an international migration gain of 9,500, and natural increase of 11,400 also added to growth.

For the first time since 2013, excluding the pandemic years, natural increase made a larger contribution to population growth than net migration.

Canterbury was the fastest growing region at 1.1 percent, followed by Auckland and Waikato at 1.0 percent.

Nelson and Marlborough provisionally decreased by 0.3 percent, while Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay slipped by 0.1 percent.

For Coasties, Auckland’s slower but steady growth signals a period where births are doing more of the lifting than arrivals.

This can shape local demand for housing, school places, and daily travel patterns across the Hibiscus Coast.

Estimated resident population change, by regional council, year ended 30 June 2025 (provisional).

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