District · Canterbury
Kaikoura district in numbers
Kaikoura district had an estimated 4,290 people at 30 June 2026, up 0.7% (30 people) since the 2023 Census, 8th of 9 in Canterbury for growth. 26% of its 1,662 households rent, 64% own and 10% hold the home in a family trust (2023 Census).
People, June 2026
4,290
+0.7% (+30) since the 2023 Census
Latest year
−0.7%
−30 people, June 2025 to June 2026
Since 1996
+19.5%
Thirty years of Stats NZ estimates
Median weekly rent, Canterbury
$550
Lower quartile $470, upper $646. 56,910 active bonds. MBIE, July 2026. Regional figure; MBIE does not publish this district on its own
Median full-time earnings, Canterbury
$1,563 a week
June 2026. Regional, not district level
Employment rate, Canterbury
69%
Unemployment 4.4%, 2026 Q1. Regional survey estimate
Population, 1996 to 2026
Stats NZ estimated resident population at 30 June. Estimates after 2023 are provisional and built on the 2023 Census. Dark bars: first year, 2023 Census base, latest.
Population by year, 2019 to 2026
| 30 June | People | Change on the year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4,090 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 4,180 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 4,140 | −1% |
| 2022 | 4,160 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 4,260 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 4,330 | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 4,320 | −0.2% |
| 2026 | 4,290 | −0.7% |
How Kaikoura district households hold their homes
- 64% own their home
- 26% rent
- 10% held in a family trust
1,662 households, 2023 Census.