The estimated resident population of New Zealand reached 4,885,300 end of June 2018, according to StatsNZ. Population change in New Zealand is calculated based on natural increase (births minus deaths) and net migration (international migrant arrivals minus departures).
The population increase has been driven by net migration in recent years, reaching a peak of 72,400 migrants in the July 2017 year. Natural increases contribute around 30,000 people a year.
New Zealand’s population grew by 91,500 (1.9 percent) in the June 2018 year, down slightly from 2.1 percent in 2017. These growth rates are high by historical standards and greater than the latest growth rates of 1.6 percent for Australia and 1.2 percent for the global population.
The decline was mainly driven by an increase in migrant departures. Migrant arrivals and births were both down slightly, and deaths were up slightly from 2017. The small increase in deaths was driven by the growing proportion of the population in the older ages. Almost three-quarters of a million people are aged 65 plus in New Zealand, up 40 percent from a decade ago.