More New Zealanders in the older ages

The age composition of New Zealand's population has changed over the past decade, Statistics New Zealand said today. There were proportionally more children in the population at 31 December 2000 with 23 percent of the population aged 0–14 years, compared with 20 percent at 31 December 2010. In contrast, the population aged 65 years and over grew from 12 percent of the population to 13 percent one decade later. 

"There are now more people in the older age groups," Population Statistics manager Bridget Hamilton-Seymour said. "The number of people aged 100 and over has increased significantly during the last 60 years."

The estimated resident population of New Zealand was 4,393,500 at 31 December 2010. The population increased by 46,300 (1.1 percent) in the December 2010 year; natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) and net migration contributed 35,800 and 10,500, respectively. The population growth is less than the 55,600 (1.3 percent) increase in 2009.

Geoff Bascand 14 February 2011

Government Statistician