Subnational Family and Household Projections: 2001(base) – 2021 update

More Households Projected In All Regions

All 16 regional council areas of New Zealand are projected to have more households in 2021 than in 2001, according to updated 2001-base subnational family and household projections, Statistics New Zealand said today. By comparison, four regional council areas are projected to experience a decrease in population over the 2001–2021 period.

The higher growth rate in the number of households compared with the population is due to a projected decrease in average household size for all regional council areas and territorial authorities. This reflects an increasing proportion of one-person households and a decrease in the average size of family households. These trends are driven mainly by the general ageing of the population. Average family size is projected to decline largely because of an increase in the proportion of 'couple without children' families (which contain two people) and a decrease in the proportion of 'two-parent' families (which contain about four people, on average).

Auckland region is projected to account for half of the national increase in households between 2001 and 2021, with a 46 percent increase from 419,000 to 614,000. Over the same period, it is projected to account for 63 percent of New Zealand's population growth. By 2021, 33 percent of all households in New Zealand will be in the Auckland region, up from 29 percent in 2001.

Of New Zealand's 74 territorial authorities, 63 are projected to have more households in 2021 than in 2001. This compares with 41 that are projected to experience population growth. Six are projected to experience increases in the number of households of over 50 percent: Queenstown-Lakes District (82 percent), Selwyn District (59 percent), Rodney District (58 percent), Manukau City (54 percent), Waimakariri District (52 percent) and Western Bay of Plenty District (51 percent).

Brian Pink
Government Statistician

ENDS

© Scoop Media