At the 2001 census Whanganui region’s population was 63,594 (1.7% of the national population).
The population had declined by about 10.3% since the 1991 census. And the regional population is envisaged to continue to decrease into the immediate future (while the New Zealand population will grow until about 2046). (Statistics New Zealand )
Whanganui District Health Board
population projections 2001-2026
Whanganui District Health Board
population projections for those older than 65 years, 2001-2026
Ethnic Composition
22% of the Whanganui region’s population is of Māori origin (compared to 15% nationally).
2% of the Whanganui region’s population is of Pacific Islander origin (compared to 6.5% nationally).
2% of the Whanganui region’s population is of Asian origin (compared to 6.6% nationally).
74% of the Whanganui region’s population is of European origin.
Age Structure
Median age for the Whanganui region is 38.8 years (compared to 34.8 years nationally).
24.3% of the Whanganui region’s population is younger than 15 years of age (compared to 22.7% nationally).
34.4% of Māori in the Whanganui region are younger than 15 years of age.
15% of the Whanganui population is older than 65 years of age (compared to 12% nationally in 2001). By 2026 this population is forecast to increase to 26% in Whanganui. Nationally this age group is forecast to comprise 22% of the populace in 2031.
Only 6.4% of the Māori population in the Whanganui region is over 65 years of age. But the percentage of older Māori is projected to increase at about 33% in the next 10 years, at a higher rate than for the rest of the population mostly as a result of increasing life expectancy.
Age structure by gender,
Whanganui District Health Board
region, 2001
Age structure by ethnicity,
Whanganui District Health Board
region, 2001
