1.5 millionth Aucklander could be born today

Some time today, somebody could take Auckland's population over 1.5 million, according to Statistics New Zealand.

New Zealand's biggest city was expected to reach the landmark about 1 February 2012, Population Statistics manager Andrea Blackburn said today.

"The 1.5 millionth person could be a migrant coming from overseas or from within New Zealand, but it is most likely to be a new baby. That's because births add more than net migration to Auckland's population growth."

The estimate is based on the average population growth over the last two years, which allows for births, deaths, arrivals, and departures of residents.

"Auckland has dominated New Zealand's population growth over the last 60 years," Mrs Blackburn said. "Its population exceeded 0.5 million for the first time at the 1961 Census, and by the time of the 1996 Census it was over the 1 million mark."

New Zealand's population exceeded 1.5 million at the 1936 Census. At that time Auckland was home to 17 percent of the country's population. That share doubled to 34 percent by 2011.

Auckland's population ranks as the fifth largest across Australia and New Zealand. It is below Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, but above that of Adelaide.

For more information on population estimates, see Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2011.