New Zealand’s resident population grew 0.7 percent to 5.3 million in the year ending June 2025, with growth slowing across all 16 regions, Stats NZ said on Wednesday.
The increase was smaller than in the previous two June years — 2.3 percent in 2023 and 1.7 percent in 2024 — according to a statement from the statistics agency.
“Lower net migration gains in the June 2025 year led to slower population growth across all regions,” said Victoria Treliving, Stats NZ’s population estimates, projections, and coverage spokesperson.
Stats NZ noted that natural increase (births minus deaths) was the main driver of growth, marking a shift from recent years when net migration was the dominant factor.
Among regions, Canterbury in the South Island recorded the fastest growth at 1.1 percent in the June 2025 year. Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, grew 1 percent to over 1.8 million, with a net migration gain of 6,300.