Auckland city business and economy report 2007

Executive summary | Relative economic performance | Economic structure | Affordable housing | Population | Labour market | Retail trade and tourism | Building and property | Inflation, interest rates and the exchange rate | Potential economic impacts of climate change | Economic outlook

Population

Auckland city's population growth was 1.2 per cent in the year to June 2006. This is similar to the previous two years. However, the region's growth was faster, at 1.6 per cent, resulting in a slightly declining proportion of the region now living in Auckland city.

At the same time, New Zealand's population growth of 1 per cent means more of New Zealand's population lives in the Auckland region.

Auckland city is expected to have a continued steady population growth of 1.3 per cent per year until 2016, exceeding the population growth of New Zealand as a whole, but slightly slower than regional growth of 1.5 per cent.

Annual population growth Usually resident as at June

Source: Statistics New Zealand Forecasts for 2006-2011 and 2011-2016 are annual percentage changes. Numbers are Auckland city population estimates using 2001 base data.

Auckland city's ethnic mix is changing:

• the Asian ethnic population share increased from 18 to 23 per cent between the 2001 and 2006 censuses
• the European ethnic population share decreased from 62 to 51 per cent
• ethnic Maori and Pacific Island people's shares also declined marginally.

These trends are expected to continue, so by 2016 the Asian population will represent 33 per cent of the city's population, European 46 per cent or less, while Maori and Pacific Island people's shares will remain relatively unchanged.⁵

External migration flows Annual totals March years

Source: Statistics New Zealand

Auckland city receives a disproportionate share of the region's and nation's migrants. In the year to March 2007, Auckland city was home to 48 per cent of long-term migrants to the region and 19 per cent of long-term migrants to New Zealand.⁶

Annual net migration increased to approximately 7,000 in Auckland city in the March 2007 year. The increase was due to both a small increase in arrivals and a fall in departures. However, net migration has declined since 2003, and the fall in net migration in the March 2007 quarter compared to the same quarter in 2006 is a result of the slowing economy and labour market.

Published June 2007