New Zealand's population has grown by 0.8% (43,500) in the year ended March 2026, according to the latest data released by Stats NZ.
The estimated resident population was now 5,361,300.
Net migration made up 56% (24,300) of total growth, and natural increase (births minus deaths) made up 44%(19,200) of total growth in the last year. In the last quarter, net migration made up 72% of total growth, with natural increase making up only 28%.
There have been 1512 fewer live births this year compared to March 2025, and deaths have increased from 37,647 to 37,821.
The projections also show the fertility rate has decreased from 1.58 births per woman to 1.53.
The infant mortality rate, however, was down 0.8%, from 6.0 to 5.2 deaths per 1000 live births.
Stats NZ found that of the estimated population, around 2,700,800 people were female and 2,660,600 were male. The median age for females was 39.2 and for males was 37.7 years, respectively.
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