Age
Moving to highly populated areas of the country is often a common feature among young adults who are seeking tertiary education and the range of job opportunities that are not available in lesser populated areas. Between 2001 and 2006, there were net losses of 10,900 people aged 15–24 years and 4,900 aged 65 years and over to rural and other areas from moves between this area type and urban areas and rural centres. However, the rural and other area gained 19,500 people of ages between 25 and 64 years. By contrast, main urban areas had a net gain of 22,800 people aged 15–24 years and a net loss of 22,400 people aged 25–64 years from moves between main urban area and other urban (that is, secondary or minor urban areas), and rural areas.
Figure 7
Ethnicity
Nearly all movers had moved within main urban areas (around 90 percent) at the 2006 Census. This proportion ranged from 84 percent of movers of Māori ethnicity to 97 percent of movers of Asian ethnicities. A much lower proportion of movers living in minor urban areas moved within this area, 54 percent of movers of Māori ethnicity and just 44 percent of movers of Asian ethnicities.
In contrast, among people living in rural areas who had moved between the 2001 and 2006 Censuses, just small proportions of these had moved within the rural areas. For example, 72 percent of movers of Pacific ethnicity who lived in rural and other areas had moved from urban areas to live in these areas. This compares with 57 percent of movers of European ethnicity, 61 percent of movers of Māori ethnicity, and 76 percent of movers of Asian ethnicity having moved from urban areas to live in rural and other areas.
Table 3
Distribution of Movers of European Ethnicity
By urban area five years ago
2006 Census |
| Usual residence area |
Moved within area |
Moved from other urban |
Moved from rural and other |
Area stated |
| Percent of population |
| Main urban |
86.9 |
6.3 |
6.8 |
100.0 |
| Secondary urban |
57.8 |
28.1 |
14.1 |
100.0 |
| Minor urban |
46.4 |
33.7 |
19.9 |
100.0 |
| Rural centre |
24.8 |
54.0 |
21.2 |
100.0 |
| Rural and other |
38.6 |
57.1 |
4.3 |
100.0 |
Table 4
Distribution of Movers of Māori Ethnicity
By urban area five years ago
2006 Census |
| Usual residence area |
Moved within area |
Moved from other urban |
Moved from rural and other |
Area stated |
| Percent of population |
| Main urban |
83.8 |
8.8 |
7.5 |
100.0 |
| Secondary urban |
57.4 |
31.7 |
10.9 |
100.0 |
| Minor urban |
54.0 |
29.1 |
16.9 |
100.0 |
| Rural centre |
30.4 |
50.8 |
18.8 |
100.0 |
| Rural and other |
32.8 |
61.3 |
5.9 |
100.0 |
Table 5
Distribution of Movers of Pacific Ethnicity
By urban area five years ago
2006 Census |
| Usual residence area |
Moved within area |
Moved from other urban |
Moved from rural and other |
Area stated |
| Percent of population |
| Main urban |
95.4 |
2.7 |
1.9 |
100.0 |
| Secondary urban |
57.9 |
36.5 |
5.6 |
100.0 |
| Minor urban |
45.2 |
42.1 |
12.7 |
100.0 |
| Rural centre |
19.4 |
67.6 |
13.1 |
100.0 |
| Rural and other |
25.0 |
71.7 |
3.3 |
100.0 |
Table 6
Distribution of Movers of Asian Ethnicity
By urban area five years ago
2006 Census |
| Usual residence area |
Moved within area |
Moved from other urban |
Moved from rural and other |
Area stated |
| Percent of population |
| Main urban |
96.5 |
2.1 |
1.3 |
100.0 |
| Secondary urban |
53.0 |
39.4 |
7.7 |
100.0 |
| Minor urban |
44.5 |
46.0 |
9.6 |
100.0 |
| Rural centre |
19.2 |
67.3 |
13.5 |
100.0 |
| Rural and other |
21.5 |
76.3 |
2.2 |
100.0 |
Occupation
Among occupation groups listed by the 2006 Census, main urban areas recorded a net loss of managers and professionals (7,100 in total), whereas rural areas had a net gain of 7,800 people in these occupation groups who had moved to live in the rural areas. However, main urban areas had net gains of community and personal service, and sales workers from other urban and rural areas (3,100). Rural areas also gained labourers (2,100) from urban areas.
Figure 8
Information sources
1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006 Census of Population and Dwellings
Glossary
Please refer to Glossary.
Further information
This page is part of a web-based analytical report by Statistics New Zealand.
The report includes more than 10 topics. To see the other topics, go to the Internal Migration report introduction page.