Population exceeds 3.83 million

National Population Estimates: June 2000 quarter: June 2000

Population exceeds 3.83 million

New Zealand's population is slowly inching towards the four million mark says Acting Government Statistician Dianne Macaskill. The estimated resident population at 30 June 2000 was 3,831,000. This represents an increase of 20,300 or 0.5 per cent over the 30 June 1999 figure, and is under half of the 1.1 per cent average annual growth rate of the previous five years.

The slower growth was due mainly to a net loss in external migration, which partially offset the natural increase of population (excess of births over deaths). Permanent and long-term departures exceeded arrivals by 9,800 during the June 2000 year, compared with an average annual gain of 23,000 over 1995-97.

The estimated population increase during the June 2000 quarter was 1,100 or about one-third of 0.1 per cent. This resulted from a natural increase of 7,300, and a net loss of 6,200 through permanent and long-term migration. The corresponding population increases for the June quarters of 1999 and 1998 were both higher, at 1,700 and 3,300 respectively. In the June quarters of 1999 and 1998 there were net population outflows of 5,400 and 4,300 respectively.

Half of the New Zealand population is now over 34.3 years of age, up nearly 3 years over the median age of 31.4 years in 1991. Children under 15 years now make up 22.9 per cent of all New Zealanders, down from 23.1 per cent in 1991. The population aged 65 years and over is currently increasing by about 5,000 people per year. They now number 451,000 and make up 11.8 per cent of the New Zealand population, up from 11.2 per cent in 1991.

Dianne Macaskill ACTING GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN END

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