Aotearoa has registered slightly fewer births and slightly more deaths in the year ending June 2023, compared to this time last year, according to new data from Stats NZ.
According to the organisation, 57,543 live births were registered in the year ended June 2023, down from 60,009 in June 2022.
In that same period of 12 months, 38,346 deaths were registered, up from 36,7234.
The natural increase over the year was 19,185, which is down from last year's 23,280.
Stats NZ said this is the lowest natural increase since 1943, when the number sat at 17,562.
"Fewer births in the June 2023 year, combined with a higher number of deaths, caused this. An ageing population will result in natural increase continuing to decline, slightly dependent on the number of births each year," Stats NZ said.
It said New Zealand's ageing population and the ongoing effects of Covid-19 are why deaths are up.
The total fetility rate was 1.61 births per woman, down from 1.69.
Infant mortality rates dropped slightly, from 3.85 deaths per 1000 live births to 3.49.
Country's population up
While there the number of deaths in the last 12 months has gone up, New Zealand's population continues to grow - hitting the provisional number of 5,223,100.
During the year to June 2023, the population grew by 105,900 (2.07%). Around 19,100 of those were thanks to natural increase, and 86,800 arrived from net migration (migrant arrivals minus migrant departures).
Net migration was the highest its been since the March 2020 year.
There was a provisional net migration loss of 34,800 NZ citizens in the June 2023 year - the largest net migration loss since the April 2013 year.
There were 2,598,200 males and 2,624,800 females, with the average age being 37.1 for males and 39.0 for females.
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