Multi-Unit Dwellers: 2005

More People Choose Inner-City Living

In the 10 years between the 1991 and 2001 censuses, the number of people living in inner-city multi-unit dwellings more than tripled, from 2,532 to 8,607, Statistics New Zealand said today.

These figures come from Downtown Dwellers 2005: New Zealand’s CBD Residents, a new report about inner-city residents who live in apartment buildings and other types of multi-unit dwellings.

In 2001, inner-city multi-unit dwellers tended to be young, with 25 percent between the ages of 20 and 24. Sixty-five percent of inner-city multi-unit dwellers had never been married. However, 14 percent of Christchurch’s inner-city multi-unit residents were over the age of 65 years, a much larger proportion than for Auckland (3 percent) and Wellington (4 percent). Almost one in four (24 percent) of Auckland’s inner-city multi-unit dwellers were recent immigrants, compared with 9 percent in both Wellington and Christchurch.

Inner-city multi-unit dwellers living in Wellington had the highest median annual income ($31,200), followed by those living in Auckland ($26,500) and Christchurch ($21,400).

Between 1991 and 2001, there was a trend towards smaller inner-city multi-unit dwellings. The proportion with just one bedroom increased from 29 percent to 39 percent.

Downtown Dwellers 2005: New Zealand’s CBD Residents analyses the social, economic and demographic characteristics of inner-city multi-unit dwellers, providing an understanding of this rapidly growing population and informing those who have an interest in New Zealanders’ changing housing preferences. The full report is available on the Statistics New Zealand website (www.stats.govt.nz).

Brian Pink
Government Statistician

ENDS

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