Northland has the highest rates of rheumatic fever in the country and last week visiting US expert Dr Stanford Shulman met health professionals to help with solutions.

Every hour, at least seven cars pass by Ame Khan's shop front window or, occasionally, someone comes in to order his specialty, "the Bro Burger".

Sun-lovers should head to the Bay of Plenty or Hawkes Bay for the best weather this summer, but most of the country can expect warmer, drier weather.

Aging baby boomers are pushing numbers of those aged 65 and over to unprecedented levels, adding to the financial pressure on the rest of the population.

Newborns and unborn babies in later pregnancy have been dying in South Auckland at a higher rate than the national average for most of the past decade.

New Zealand's population will reach 4,444,444 tomorrow, according to Government population numbers.

More people means more bums on seats - enriching and expanding the arts, sport and media, writes Toby Manhire. "Who honestly can say they feel crowded anywhere in NZ?"

A support organisation for migrant parents in Auckland is experiencing a baby boom because of a surge in the number of dragon babies born to Chinese parents.

Lee Hsien Loong sees a bright future as New Zealand and Singapore build on their friendship.

New Zealand will have more than five million people by 2031 – with almost 2 million living in Auckland, according to Statistics New Zealand projections.

We're becoming a nation of fatties. And while we only make up 0.08 per cent of the total world weight, we make up 0.22 of the world's excess weight due to obesity.

What sort of country will New Zealand be halfway through this century? Here’s a snapshot of what Godzone could be like.