District · Otago
Dunedin city in numbers
Dunedin city had an estimated 131,200 people at 30 June 2026, down 0.1% (100 people) since the 2023 Census, 5th of 5 in Otago for growth. 32% of its 49,182 households rent, 57% own and 11% hold the home in a family trust (2023 Census). MBIE puts the median rent at $520 a week (July 2026).
People, June 2026
131,200
−0.1% (−100) since the 2023 Census
Latest year
−0.5%
−700 people, June 2025 to June 2026
Since 1996
+8.6%
Thirty years of Stats NZ estimates
Median weekly rent
$520
Lower quartile $368, upper $600. 13,980 active bonds. MBIE, July 2026
Median full-time earnings, Otago
$1,500 a week
June 2026. Regional, not district level
Employment rate, Otago
70.3%
Unemployment 3.6%, 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 | 131,600 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 133,200 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 132,200 | −0.8% |
| 2022 | 131,300 | −0.7% |
| 2023 | 131,300 | 0% |
| 2024 | 132,200 | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 131,900 | −0.2% |
| 2026 | 131,200 | −0.5% |
How Dunedin city households hold their homes
- 57% own their home
- 32% rent
- 11% held in a family trust
49,182 households, 2023 Census.