# National Population Estimates: At 31 March 2026

**Source:** Stats NZ Information Release  
**URL:** https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/national-population-estimates-at-31-march-2026/  
**Release Date:** 18 May 2026, 10:45am  
**Next Release:** 18 August 2026 (At 30 June 2026)  
**Access Date:** 9 June 2026

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## Key National Figures

| Metric                        | Value         |
| ----------------------------- | ------------- |
| Estimated resident population | **5,361,300** |
| Female                        | 2,700,800     |
| Male                          | 2,660,600     |
| Median age - Female           | 39.2 years    |
| Median age - Male             | 37.7 years    |

## Annual Growth (Year Ended March 2026)

| Component                             | Value           | Share of Growth |
| ------------------------------------- | --------------- | --------------- |
| Total growth                          | +43,500 (+0.8%) | 100%            |
| Natural increase (births – deaths)    | 19,200          | 44%             |
| Net migration (arrivals – departures) | 24,300          | 56%             |

## Quarterly Growth (Quarter Ended March 2026)

| Component        | Value           | Share of Growth |
| ---------------- | --------------- | --------------- |
| Total growth     | +16,800 (+0.3%) | 100%            |
| Natural increase | 4,700           | 28%             |
| Net migration    | 12,200          | 72%             |

## Revisions to Previous Estimates

The March 2026 quarter release revised estimates back to September 2024, primarily due to updates to international migration estimates (which take up to 16 months to finalise).

| Reference Period | Previous (16 Feb 2026) | Current (18 May 2026) | Revision |
| ---------------- | ---------------------- | --------------------- | -------- |
| 31 Dec 2025      | 5,342,000              | 5,344,500             | +2,500   |
| 30 Sep 2025      | 5,331,100              | 5,333,500             | +2,400   |
| 30 Jun 2025      | 5,320,600              | 5,321,900             | +1,300   |
| 31 Mar 2025      | 5,317,200              | 5,317,800             | +700     |
| 31 Dec 2024      | 5,307,800              | 5,307,700             | -100     |
| 30 Sep 2024      | 5,301,000              | 5,301,000             | 0        |

## Relevance to Seniors

- The **median age** (39.2 female, 37.7 male) provides a baseline for tracking population ageing trends
- Population estimates by single-year of age and five-year age groups are available via Infoshare (subject category: Population → Population estimates – DPE) — these feed directly into projections for the 65+ and 85+ populations
- The 5.36 million denominator is used for all population-based metrics including NZ Super eligibility counts, aged care capacity ratios, and workforce dependency ratios

## Technical Contacts

- **Media:** media@stats.govt.nz | 021 285 9191
- **Technical:** Bridget Snodgrass — info@stats.govt.nz | 04 931 4600

**ISSN:** 1178-0576