Census 2018: Rotorua's population increases 10.1 per cent

Census data revealed today shows Rotorua has had a large population increase. Photo / file

Rotorua's population has increased 10.1 per cent since the last Census.

Some 2018 Census data was released today, looking at the populations of regional council and territorial authority areas in New Zealand.

This data revealed that in 2018, Rotorua had a usually resident population of 71,877 people - an increase of 10.1 per cent from the 65,280 people who lived in the city in 2013.

The city's fastest-growing suburbs were Ngapuna and Mangakakahi Central.

Ngapuna's population grew from 285 in 2013 to 357 last year, while Mangakakahi Central grew from 84 to 105.

The data also showed that Rotorua's housing stock increased.

The city had 28,464 private dwellings in 2018, up 3.7 per cent from 2013.

Census 2018 also revealed the Bay of Plenty was the second-fastest-growing region in New Zealand.

The region grew 15.2 per cent to 308,499, pipped only by Northland, up 18.1 per cent over five years.

Participation in the Census, taken in March 2018, was lower than expected and data releases were significantly delayed while Stats NZ tried to fill the gaps with other government data.

In August, following the release of an independent review that criticised aspects of the process, Government Statistician and Stats NZ chief executive Liz MacPherson resigned.

Rotorua's 2018 Census key points

2018 total population (usually resident): 71,877
Increase from 2013: 6597 people, 10.1 per cent

Total private dwellings in 2018: 28,464
Increase from 2013: 1017 dwellings, 3.7 per cent

Total occupied private dwellings in 2018: 25,236
Increase from 2013: 852, 3.5 per cent

Total unoccupied private dwellings in 2018: 3228
Increase from 2013: 165, 5.4 per cent

Electorate populations

Bay of Plenty
2018: 71,057
2013: 57,242

Coromandel
2018: 66,834
2013: 58,879

East Coast
2018: 66,175
2013: 61,834

Rotorua
2018: 63,585
2013: 58,397

Taupō
2018: 70,116
2013: 62,552

Tauranga
2018: 66,787
2013: 58,202

Waiariki
2018: 67,111
2013: 57,676

2013 key points:2013 total population* Total population of 65,280, a decrease of 621 people since the 2006 Census* It's population ranks 12th in size out of the 67 districts in New Zealand* Rotorua has1.5 per cent of New Zealand's population* 31,554 are male and33,726 are female2013 Māori population* 22,413 are Maori, a decrease of 321 people since the 2006 Census* It's Māori population is 4th in size out of the 67 districts in New Zealand* 3.7 per cent of New Zealand's Māori population usually live in the Rotorua district* 10,602 Māori in Rotorua district are male* 11,808 Māori in Rotorua district are femaleDwellings* There are 24,573 occupied dwellings and 3063 unoccupied dwellings in Rotorua* There are 75 dwellings under construction.