New Zealand's population is continuing to increase but the rate of growth is slowing to its lowest since the 1980s, new figures show.
Provisional Stats NZ data released on Tuesday, covering the June 2021 to 2022 year, showed the population had increased to 5.12 million - up by 12,700 people (0.2 percent) - the lowest growth since 1986. That compares with 0.38 percent growth in the year to March.
National population estimates showed there were 2.54 million men and 2.58 million women in New Zealand - with median ages of 37 and 39.1 respectively.
Stats NZ said there were 36,900 deaths in the year to June - an increase of 10 percent on the same time last year.
These latest figures come after data released last week by Stats NZ showed net migration had plummeted to its lowest levels since the 1990s.
"The net migration loss combined with a lower natural increase has resulted in this low level of population growth," said Stats NZ's Rebekah Hennessey.
"In the year ended June 2022, the number of births remained around 61,000 while the number of deaths grew by 10.1 percent to 36,900 from 33,500 in the year ended June 2021, due partly to population ageing.
"This led to [the] natural increase reducing to 24,100 in the year ended June 2022 from 27,700 in the year ended June 2021," Stats NZ said.
