Census 2023 results: Hawke’s Bay bucks national ageing trend in latest Census data

Young 'uns might take over as Hawke's Bay trends towards a younger population in the latest Census data. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke’s Bay might be the new hip place to be as its younger population bucks the ageing trend in the latest New Zealand Census data.

The first results of Census 2023 have been released, revealing overall trends of growth, diversification and ageing across the motu.

The nation’s median age rose from 37.4 years in 2018 to 38.1 years in 2023.

While the median age in Hawke’s Bay remains above the national median, the region was one of only three in the country to see a trend towards a younger population, going from a median of 40.6 years in 2018 to a sprightly 40.4 years in 2023.

The other two regions were also on the east coast of the North Island, with Gisborne (from 37.0 years to 36.7 years) and the Bay of Plenty (from 40.2 years to 39.7 years) recording decreases in median age.

Hawke’s Bay’s population has grown from 166,368 in 2018 to 175,074 in 2023, or 5.23 per cent overall.

Within that, Central Hawke’s Bay grew the fastest proportionally, with a 9.5 per cent increase from 2018 to 2023, while Napier City had a 3.9 per cent growth in its population.

The hastings district grew by 5.4 per cent and the Wairoa district grew by 5.5 per cent.

Hawke’s Bay’s Māori population has grown slightly in both number and relative size, from 48,696 in 2018 (29.27 per cent of the population) to 53,502 in 2023 (30.56 per cent of the population).

Māori were 17.8 per cent of Aotearoa’s population in 2023.

Government statistician and Stats NZ chief executive Mark Sowden said in a statement one in five people nationally were of Māori descent based on whakapapa.

“There was a 12.5 per cent (108,396 people) increase in the Māori descent Census population between 2018 and 2023, to nearly one million people (978,246),” Sowden said.

The definition of “Māori descent” used in the census is explained further by the Stats NZ data quality statement published with the data as being based on a genealogical or biological concept.

“For the purposes of the Māori descent classification, having Cook Island Māori ancestry is not classified as being of Māori descent,” the quality statement said.