Demographics & Data
View population statistics, growth trends, and life expectancy data. National, subnational, and ethnic population projections. MSD Long-Term Insights, WSP Age-Proofing Aotearoa, EHINZ, Stats NZ life expectancy, OECD comparisons.
Browse all 21 documentsAll Documents (21)
Showing 1–15 of 21 matching documents. Undated publications appear last.
- Full OECD report: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-economic-surveys-new-zealand-20263ec5de98-en.html (accessed 9 Jun 2026)
Sources: NZIER, Assessing the Equity Issues Facing ARC (2022); Treasury, Case Study: Aged Residential Care (2024); Sapere, Aged Care Service Model and Funding Review (2024).
The OECD Pensions at a Glance data is the most frequently cited international benchmark by NZ policy makers, Treasury, the Retirement Commission, and advocacy groups.
Stats NZ 2023 General Social Survey volunteering figures, as compiled by Tūao Aotearoa Volunteering New Zealand: 53.0% of New Zealanders volunteered (up from 50.7% in 2021).
Key quote from NZIER Associate Todd Krieble: 'Population change is accelerating.
Cohort Life Tables March 2026 Update.
The 65+ age group has been the fastest-growing employment segment in New Zealand in early 2026, with consistent 3.6–3.9% year-on-year growth every month — well above all other age groups.
HLPI Superannuitant Inflation March 2026 Quarter.
Stats NZ quarterly release of national population estimates by age and sex, recording New Zealand's population aged 65+ reaching over 920,000 (17.5% of total population) and the rapid growth of the 85+ cohort.
New Zealand's population is ageing across all projection scenarios.
Kali Mercier’s Helen Clark Foundation/WSP report examines how housing, transport, aged care, health facilities and public spaces could respond to an ageing population.
AIHW's national welfare snapshot provides the Australian demographic comparison used in the PiP pitch.
MSD and the Office for Seniors examine long-term changes in older New Zealanders’ health, income, housing, social connection and access to services.
Sarah Hogan and Philippa Miller-Moore’s NZIER report for The Selwyn Foundation sets out five investment priorities for improving later life: better longevity data, suitable housing, life-course planning, integrated support for independence and social connection, and specialist...
Stats NZ's 2024-base national projections establish the demographic case for PiP.
Featured Resources
2026 Volunteering NZ - Web Capture - Volunteering Statistics (Stats NZ GSS 2023)
Stats NZ 2023 General Social Survey volunteering figures, as compiled by Tūao Aotearoa Volunteering New Zealand: 53.0% of New Zealanders volunteered (up from 50.7% in 2021).
National Population Projections: 2024(base)-2078
Stats NZ's 2024-base national projections establish the demographic case for PiP.
Aotearoa Internet Insights 2025
InternetNZ's online survey provides current but limited evidence about digitally connected people aged 70+.
Social vulnerability indicators 2023 — National surveillance report (June 2025)
EHINZ brings together indicators of susceptibility and resilience to climate-related hazards, natural hazards and emergencies.
Meeting the future needs of older New Zealanders: Trends, risks and opportunities — Draft Long-Term Insights Briefing
MSD and the Office for Seniors examine long-term changes in older New Zealanders’ health, income, housing, social connection and access to services.
Meeting the future needs of older Pacific New Zealanders — Supplementary Long-Term Insights Briefing paper
This publicly hosted supplementary paper supports MSD’s 2025 Long-Term Insights Briefing with evidence about older Pacific New Zealanders.
Population ageing
Population ageing is an overall change in the ages of a population. This can typically be summarised in a single parameter as an increase in the median age. Causes are a long-term decline in fertility rates and a decline in mortality rates. Most countries now have declining mortality rates and an ageing population: trends that emerged first in developed countries but are now also seen in virtually all developing countries. In most developed countries, population ageing started in the late 19th century. By the late 20th century, the world population as a whole was also ageing. The proportion of people aged 65 and above accounts for 6% of the total population. This reflects a historic overall decline in the world's average fertility rate. That is the case for every country in the world except the 18 countries designated as "demographic outliers" by the United Nations. The aged population is currently at its highest level in human history. The UN projects that the population will age faster in the 21st century than in the 20th. The number of people aged 60 years and over has tripled since 1950; it reached 600 million in 2000 and surpassed 700 million in 2006. It is projected that the combined senior and geriatric population will reach 2.1 billion by 2050. Countries vary significantly in terms of the degree and pace of ageing, and the UN expects populations that began ageing later will have less time to respond to its implications. Policy interventions include preventative strategies that increase the size of the young, working-age population, as well as adaptive measures to make overarching systems compatible with a new demographic future.
Open Intelligence Use
- Use Wikipedia as a baseline definition, then test it against the NZ-specific documents below.
- Prioritise recent official PDFs, parliamentary papers, and sector reports where the baseline is dated or generic.
- Turn repeated evidence into source briefs, watchlists, and strategy actions.
Source Monitoring Queue
National population estimates at 31 March 2026
Stats NZ
Current national population baseline for ageing demand, dependency ratios, and regional planning assumptions.
Next: Use to refresh demographic summaries and regional ageing strategy prompts.
National population projections 2024(base)-2078
Stats NZ
Long-run age-structure projections support funding, workforce, housing, and care-capacity strategy.
Next: Reference in ageing risk atlas updates and compare against regional service-capacity signals.
Housing in Aotearoa New Zealand: 2025
Stats NZ
Official housing evidence including older people in residential care, retirement villages, severe housing deprivation, tenure, and housing quality.
Next: Use for housing, retirement-village, and aged-care demand narratives on category pages and strategy cards.
An overview of disability data in Aotearoa New Zealand
Stats NZ
Current official disability evidence, including high disability prevalence among people aged 65 and over.
Next: Capture a KB document and connect it to dementia, home support, consumer-rights, and disability-support bill analysis.
Working lives are getting longer
Stats NZ
Evidence that employment among people aged 65+ is rising, useful for NZ Super, older workers, and economic contribution analysis.
Next: Create a short KB capture and link it to funding, workforce, and political campaign trackers.
Subnational population projections: 2023(base)–2053
Stats NZ
Regional age-structure projections are the foundation for demand, workforce, housing, transport, and care-capacity planning.
Next: Maintain the verified Table 4 65+ series; extract 75+ and 85+ age detail from the official age-sex dataset and source care capacity separately.