Urban areas of New Zealand explained
Statistics New Zealand defines urban areas of New Zealand for statistical purposes (they have no administrative or legal basis).[1] The urban areas comprise cities, towns and other conurbations (an aggregation of urban settlements) of a thousand people or more. In combination, the urban areas of the country constitute New Zealand's urban population.[1] As of, the urban population made up % of New Zealand's total population.
The current standard for urban areas is the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18), which replaced the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992 (NZSAC92) in 2018.[2]
There are four classes of urban area under SSGA18:
- Major urban areas, with a population of 100,000 or more. There are seven major urban areas which combined have a population of (% of the total population).
- Large urban areas, with a population of 30,000 to 99,999. There are 13 large urban areas which combined have a population of (% of the total population).
- Medium urban areas, with a population of 10,000 to 29,999. There are 23 medium urban areas which combined have a population of (% of the total population).
- Small urban areas, with a population of 1,000 to 9,999. There are 152 small urban areas which combined have a population of (% of the total population).
Each urban area consists of one or more level-2 statistical areas (SA2s). Urban areas under SSGA18 do not cross territorial authority boundaries, with one exception (Richmond, which lies in the Tasman District but includes the Daelyn SA2 area from neighbouring Nelson City).
Statistics New Zealand also defines rural settlements with a population of 200 to 999 people or at least 40 dwellings.[3] [4] While these do not fit the standard international definition of an urban population, they serve to distinguish between true rural dwellers and those in rural settlements or towns. There are 402 rural settlements which combined have a population of (% of the total population).
In 2023, Stats NZ updated the 2018 standard for geographical areas with the new NZ Statistical standard for geographic areas 2023. While similar, the new standard has added a new geographical area (SA3), has upgraded Wanaka to a medium urban area, seven rural settlements to small urban areas and has created thirteen new rural settlements.[5] [6]
Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018
The following shows the urban areas as classified under SSGA18 (adjusted according to SSGA23 update).[7] [8]
Major urban areas
Large urban areas
Medium urban areas
Small urban areas
Rural settlements
North Island
South Island
Offshore islands
New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992
Under the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992 (NZSAC92), there are three classes of urban area:[9]
- Main urban areas, with a population of 30,000 or more. These 17 areas mostly correspond to the places known by New Zealanders as cities.
- Secondary urban areas are the 14 urban areas with a population of 10,000 to 29,999.
- Minor urban areas make up the remainder of the urban population of the country, towns with 1,000 to 9,999 people. There are 103 minor urban areas.
Main urban areas
The population figures shown are Statistics New Zealand's resident population estimates at For rankings in various criteria see the ranked list of New Zealand urban areas by population. Four main urban areas are subdivided into urban zones. The following cities are listed by location from north to south.
North Island
- Whangārei : from Hikurangi to Portland.
- Auckland is divided into four urban zones:
- Northern Auckland Urban Zone :
- Western Auckland Urban Zone :
- the part of Rodney District around Kumeū
- the urban part of West Auckland
- Central Auckland Urban Zone : Auckland isthmus, including the Auckland CBD and inner suburbs
- Southern Auckland Urban Zone :
- Hamilton is divided into three urban zones:
- Hamilton Urban Zone : all of Hamilton City and neighbouring parts of Waikato and Waipa districts including Ngāruawāhia, Taupiri and Ōhaupō
- Cambridge Urban Zone : includes Leamington
- Te Awamutu Urban Zone : includes Kihikihi
- Tauranga : Omokoroa to Papamoa Beach; and Mount Maunganui to Tauriko and Pyes Pa
- Rotorua : Ngongotahā to Owhata
- Gisborne : Makaraka to Okitu
- Napier-Hastings is a conurbation of two urban zones:
- New Plymouth : Oakura to Bell Block
- Wanganui : Westmere to Marybank
- Palmerston North : Including Longburn, Kairanga and Stony Creek, but excluding Ashhurst and rural areas in the Tararua foothills
- Kāpiti : Pekapeka to Paekākāriki
- Wellington is divided into four urban zones:
- Upper Hutt : Te Marua to Pinehaven
- Lower Hutt : includes Wainuiomata, Petone and the eastern bays, excludes farmland adjacent to Wainuiomata
- Porirua : all of Porirua City except Paekākāriki Hill and Mana Island; includes Pukerua Bay and Pauatahanui
- Wellington City : from Linden south, includes Horokiwi but excludes Mākara and Ohariu
South Island
Secondary urban areas
The population figures shown are Statistics New Zealand's resident population estimates at the The following towns are listed by location from north to south.
North Island
South Island
- Greymouth : From Runanga to Southbeach and Camerons.
- Rangiora : From the Ashley River to Flaxton
- Ashburton : From Fairton to Winslow and Argyle Park.
- Timaru : From Washdyke to Scarborough and west to Gleniti.
- Queenstown : From Fernhill and Kelvin Heights to Frankton
- Oamaru : From Pukeuri to Weston and Holmes Hill.
Minor urban areas
North Island
South Island
Changes to classification
- 1992Original classification
- 1996No change
- 2001
- Kapiti promoted from secondary to main urban area
- Rolleston added as minor urban area
- Pauanui Beach dropped to rural centre
- 2006
- Edgecumbe Community renamed Edgecumbe
- 2013
- Blenheim promoted from secondary to main urban area
- Rangiora and Queenstown promoted from minor to secondary urban areas
- Gore demoted from secondary to minor urban area
- Ngunguru, Mangawhai Heads, Te Kauwhata, Ngatea, Mapua, Amberley, Methven, Rakaia and Waikouaiti added as minor urban areas
- Russell, Mangakino, Manaia and Hanmer Springs dropped to rural centres
Related lists
Notes and References
- Web site: Urban area . Statistics New Zealand . 17 January 2020 . dmy-all .
- Book: Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 . . 23 July 2021 . 2017 . 978-1-98-852841-0 .
- Web site: Geographic definitions. 8 August 2017. Statistics New Zealand.
- Web site: Defining urban and rural New Zealand . Statistics New Zealand . 8 August 2017.
- Web site: Statistical standard for geographic areas 2023. 23 February 2023. Stats NZ.
- Web site: Urban Rural 2023. 23 February 2023. Stats NZ.
- Web site: Ariā SNZ. aria.stats.govt.nz.
- Web site: Urban Rural 2023. 23 February 2023. Stats NZ.
- Web site: Subnational Population Estimates Geographic Areas. 8 August 2017. Statistics New Zealand.
