Population

Population:  372,600 (June, 2009.) estimate
Christchurch is the second-largest city in New Zealand and the largest in the South Island. The Christchurch urban area is the second-largest in the country by population, after Auckland,  with a land area of 141,260 hectares. About 70% of this land is located on  scenic Banks Peninsula. Between 2001 and 2006 the  city’s population increased by 7.5%. Immigration from overseas has become an important factor in Christchurch’s growth over the past decade. The  city’s population is expected to reach 450,000 by the year 2041. Christchurch’s population is predominantly European with  proportionately fewer Maori and Pacific Islanders than New Zealand as a whole. Accordingly, 283,986 people in Christchurch City spoke one language only, while 37,947 spoke two, and 7,881 could converse in three or more languages. In 2006 70% of Christchurch residents aged 15 years over had a secondary school, vocational or university qualification compared with 67.2% nationally.

Land Area: 1,426 km2

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