Wellington has highest income and highest proportion with degrees – Media release

3 December 2013

The 2013 Census has found Wellington’s population has the highest median income and highest percentage with degrees in the country.

The information was released today as part of the latest batch of census results from Statistics New Zealand.

Government Statistician Liz MacPherson said the median income for people aged 15 years and over in the Wellington region is $32,700 – the highest of all regions. The New Zealand median income is $28,500. The median income for the Wellington region has increased 16.8 percent since 2006.

“The Wellington region also had the highest rate of university degrees or equivalent in the country. In the 2013 Census, 28.1 percent of people aged 15 years and over in Wellington said they had a university degree or equivalent, compared with the national average of 20.0 percent. Wellington was up from 23 percent in 2006.” Ms MacPherson said.

“Wellington’s growing overseas-born population and other census figures were also in line with other national trends. Results from the 2013 Census show the New Zealand population is growing more ethnically diverse, and that as a nation we have a lower rate of home ownership than in 2006, yet the number of dwellings has increased.

“The 2013 Census results showed that, out of all regions, Wellington has the second-highest percentage of overseas-born residents, at just over a quarter. In the Wellington region, 10.5 percent of people identify themselves as Asian.”

Other key points about Wellington from the 2013 Census results include:
• The Wellington region’s rate of home ownership was 64.9 percent in 2013, down from 66.1 percent in 2006.
• After English, the next most spoken languages in the Wellington region are te reo Māori (3.5 percent) and Samoan (3.3 percent). Wellington has the second-highest percentage of Samoan speakers after Auckland.
• The number of occupied dwellings in the Wellington region has increased by 8,466 since the last census in 2006.

Ms MacPherson said that planning for the future means having the right information. Census lets government, councils, communities, and businesses map their future. “The latest release of information from the 5 March 2013 Census is keenly awaited by those planning for Wellington’s future,” she said.

For further information about the 2013 Census results please visit www.stats.govt.nz.

ENDS

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