The natural increase in New Zealand's population now exceeds the gain from migration

The natural increase in New Zealand's population has exceeded the net gain from migration for the first time since 2013, apart from the Covid-19 pandemic affected years of 2021 and 2022.

Latest Statistics NZ figures show the natural population increase, the number of births minus the number of deaths, was 21,000 in the 12 months to June this year.

That was the third successive annual rise in the natural increase in population, bringing an end to the steady decline that occurred from the peak of 36,200 in the year to June 2010, to 19,100 in the year to June 2023. (The first graph below shows the annual trend since 1993).

Added to that was the net population gain from migration, long-term arrivals minus long-term departures. This dropped sharply to 13,700 in the year to June 2025 from 70,400 in the 12 months to June 2024.

Apart from the pandemic affected years of 2021/22, that was the lowest net migration gain since 2013. (\Annual net migration trends are also shown in the first graph below).

Added together, the 13,700 net gain from migration and the natural increase of 21,000, gave NZ a total population gain of 34,700 in the 12 months to June this year, pushing the total population up to 5.3 million people.

Apart from 2021/22, that's the lowest annual increase for the June year since 2013. (The second graph below shows the annual trend).

That means the population increased by 0.66% in the 12 months to June this year, down from growth of 1.73% in the year to June 2024 and 3.33% in the year to June 2023.

Apart from 2021/22, that's the lowest rate of increase for that period since 2012.

While population growth is at a much lower level than previous years, it is likely also at a much more sustainable level in terms of the strain it places on infrastructure such as housing and transport ,and services such as health and education, which have come under immense pressure during previous periods of high population growth.

Around the country the fastest growing region was Canterbury, with annual population growth of 1.1% in the 12 months to June this year, followed by Auckland and Waikato, both on 1.0%.

At the other end of the scale Nelson and Marlborough had negative population growth of -0.3% in the year to June, followed by Gisborne and and Hawke's Bay on -0.1%. The Wellington Region and Taranaki had static populations in the year to June. (See the final chart below for the full regional figures).