Auckland's rapid population growth came to a crashing halt in the year to June, with the region's population declining for the first time since records began.
According to Statistics New Zealand's latest population estimates, Auckland's population declined by 1280 people in the 12 months to the end of June, following increases of 35,600 in the year to June 2020, and 26,500 in the year to June 2019.
Statistics NZ says the Auckland region had averaged population growth of 1.8% a year over the previous 20 years, higher than the national average growth rate of 1.4%.
The sharp turnaround was mainly caused by more local people leaving Auckland to live in other parts of NZ, and a lack of overseas migrants arriving.
The figures show that the natural increase, the excess of births over deaths, in Auckland's population was 12,900 in the June year. That was more than wiped out by a net internal migration loss of 13,500. That means 13,500 more people left Auckland to live in other parts of the country than arrived in Auckland from elsewhere in NZ.
However Auckland has been losing residents to other parts of the country for several years, and the latest internal migration loss is up by 17.8% compared to the net internal migration loss of 11,100 in the year to June 2020.
The big turnaround was in the lack of international migrants, with a net loss of 670 people due to external migration, which means 670 more people left Auckland long term for an overseas destination than arrived long term from overseas in the year to June 2021.
Auckland had a net external migration gain of 33,800 in the year to June 2020.
Auckland's total estimated population was 1,715,600 at the end of June.
The only other regions to post population declines in the year to June were West Coast, which had 80 fewer residents than a year earlier, and Southland where the population declined by 120.
New Zealand's population overall increased by 32,400 (0.6%) in the year to June 2021, down by almost two thirds from the average annual growth of 94,800 over the previous two years.
The highest population increases in the 12 months to June this year were in Waikato, which gained 6700 residents (1.3%), Canterbury 5700 (0.9%), Bay of Plenty 4900 (1.5%) and Wellington 4000 (0.7%).
The population of the North Island increased by 23,400 (0.6%) and the population of the South Island increased by 9000 (0.8%).
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