2012: New Zealand's Lowest Population Growth in 11 Years

The population of New Zealand has grown by less than one per cent in the last year - the lowest in 11 years. There are 4,430,400 people in the country as of March 31, 27,700 or 0.6 per cent more than last year, Statistics New Zealand said today.

The population growth was the lowest since March 2001, when it only increased by 0.5 per cent. An excess of 31,100 births over deaths caused population growth during the year to March, and there was a net migration loss of 3400.

"A combination of fewer births, more deaths and more people leaving New Zealand has resulted in the country's lowest population growth since 2011," population statistics manager Andrea Blackburn said.

The New Zealand population also continues to age, with people aged 65 years and over exceeding 600,000, up to 14 per cent from 12 per cent in the year to March. Within the older age group, those 80 years or older were the fastest growing group. "In the next 40 years, the number of people aged 80 years and over is expected to more than triple from 160,000 to exceed half a million," Blackburn said.

There were less people aged 15 years or younger, falling from 22 to 20 per cent. TOT News