Population

Population: 78,000 Nelson region.
Nelson city’s total population rose from 41,568 in 2001 to 42,888 in 2006, while Tasman district’s rose from 41,352 to 44,625, to exceed that of Nelson for the first time. Figures released on 23 April 2007 by Statistics New Zealand showed that 3,774 people born in the United Kingdom and Ireland lived in the Nelson City Council area and made up 9.1% of its population - the highest proportion of residents from the United Kingdom and Ireland in New Zealand - with another 9.5% born overseas. Although Statistics New Zealand no longer keeps statistics for numbers of residents born in Germany, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Wellington has stated that a greater proportion of German speakers live in the Nelson and Bays area than anywhere else in New Zealand. There was a 23.7% rise in the number of Asians living in Nelson and a 35.4% rise in Tasman district. Nelson is growing at 3% and Tasman at nearly 8%, while the rest of New Zealand is growing at 5.4%. Based on the current rate of population increase, Tasman and Nelson each will reach a population of 50,000 in 2021. The population figures in this information are from the 2006 census.

Land area: 444 km²

Main Centres: Nelson, Motueka, Takaka

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