Northland Region - Population

Population

Northland is New Zealand's least urbanised region, with 50% of the population of living in urban areas. Of these areas, Whangarei is the largest, with a population of 52,200 (June 2012 estimates). Eight other centres have populations of over 1000: Russell, Kaitaia, Dargaville, Kaikohe, Paihia, Kerikeri, Taipa-Mangonui, and Kawakawa. The population is largely concentrated along the region's east coast. During the five year period up to 2006, Northland recorded a population growth of 6.0 percent, slightly below the national average. Northland includes one of the fastest growing towns in New Zealand, Mangawhai which is expanding rapidly due to residential and subsequent commercial development.

Māori refer to Northland — and by extension its Māori people — as Te Tai-tokerau (the northern tide) and Māori language and traditions are strong there. The Māori population in the region was 43,530 according to the 2006 Census, or 7.7 percent of the total Māori population. Half were under the age of 23.4 years. Major tribal groups include Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kurī and Ngāti Whātua. Several of these tribes form a loose association known as the Muriwhenua.

Over the last 10 years Northland's population has defied national (and worldwide) trends by becoming increasingly rural. Approximately one third of the region's population are Māori, the majority of the remainder being of European lineage. Compared to the rest of the country Pacific Islanders are under-represented in Northland. Although most of the region's European population are of British stock (as is true with the rest of the country), certain other ethnicities have left their mark on the Northland racial mix. Of these the most influential have probably been the Dalmatian community from the Dargaville area north, with a particularly strong heritage around Kaitaia.