4 February 2014

Latest results from the 2013 Census show that the Auckland region is home to the highest proportion of religious people and has higher household incomes than the rest of the country.

2013 Census regional summary tables – part 2, released today, gives an interesting impression of the Auckland region and its districts.

“For instance, 59.6 percent of Aucklanders identified with a religion in the 2013 Census, compared with 55.0 percent nationally,” Census General Manager Sarah Minson said.

Auckland was also the only region to report an increase in the total number of religious people (up 1.2 percent since 2006), though the overall proportion of religious people in the region dropped from 63.5 percent in the 2006 Census.
The majority of religious people in Auckland identified with a Christian religion, though the overall number of Christians in the region declined 3.2 percent since the last census.

The Sikh religion had the fastest rate of growth in Auckland since the last census, increasing from 6,174 people in 2006 to 11,712 in 2013. Hinduism also saw significant growth (up from 45,324 to 61,458) and the total number of Muslims in the region increased from 23,688 to 31,158.

On the income front, 36.2 percent of Auckland households reported an income of $100,000 or more in the year to 31 March 2013. That’s up from the 28.0 percent reported in 2006.

The median annual income for Auckland households rose from $63,400 to $76,500 between censuses. Auckland had the highest median household income in the country in 2013, compared with $63,800 nationally.

“This local breakdown of census information is some of the most important, as it will help communities and service providers plan for the future,” Ms Minson said. “Providers of local services such as health, education, community, and recreational facilities can use census data to form a picture of the region and what it needs to succeed.”

2013 Census regional summary tables – part 2 has more information on topics such as religion, relationship status, occupation, and smoking.

ENDS

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