Population

New Zealand has an increasingly diverse and growing population. In 2012, a key population milestone was reached, and people asked questions about how big our population was likely to get. With the 2012 Olympics in London, we also had a chance to celebrate how well the New Zealand Olympian and Paralympian teams did – especially in relation to population size.

New Zealand’s growing population
In 2012, New Zealand’s population was estimated to have passed 4,444,444 – but how much larger could our population grow in the next 50 years?
A year of deep change evident in 2012
Deep change surfaced in 2012 and pointed towards a very different future for New Zealand.
Kaumātua population doubles in 10 years
Around 1 in 7 New Zealanders are Māori, and today more than twice as many Māori are aged over 80 years than a decade ago.
Ka huaruatia te taupori kaumātua i roto i te 10 tau
Tata ki te 1 i roto i te 7 ngā tāngata o Aotearoa he Māori, ā, i ēnei rā kua paparua te maha o ngā Māori kei ngā tau 80 neke atu ki ērā i te tekau tau ki mua.
Our golden games
It was a great year for New Zealand’s summer Olympic and Paralympic teams in 2012. And when you consider our results based on population size, one of our teams came out as the best in the world!
2012 Yearbook population tables
A collection of tables that provide a snapshot of our population in 2012.