District · Canterbury
Waimakariri district in numbers
Waimakariri district had an estimated 70,900 people at 30 June 2026, up 4.3% (2,900 people) since the 2023 Census, 3rd of 9 in Canterbury for growth. 18% of its 25,401 households rent, 72% own and 11% hold the home in a family trust (2023 Census).
People, June 2026
70,900
+4.3% (+2,900) since the 2023 Census
Latest year
+1%
+700 people, June 2025 to June 2026
Since 1996
+114.8%
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 | 62,600 | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 64,500 | +3% |
| 2021 | 65,800 | +2% |
| 2022 | 66,900 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 68,000 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 68,900 | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 70,200 | +1.9% |
| 2026 | 70,900 | +1% |
How Waimakariri district households hold their homes
- 72% own their home
- 18% rent
- 11% held in a family trust
25,401 households, 2023 Census.