Population

Population: 205,400 (June 2009 estimate)

The population of Otago is 205,400, which is approximately 4.8 percent of New Zealand’s total population of 4.3 million. About 56.3 percent of the population resides in the Dunedin urban area, the region’s main city and the country’s sixth largest urban area. Unlike other southern centres, Dunedin’s population has not declined since the 1970s, due mainly to the presence of the University of Otago, especially its medical school which attracts students from all over New Zealand and overseas. Other significant urban centres in Otago with populations over 1,000 include: Queenstown, Oamaru, Wanaka, Alexandra , Balclutha and Mosgiel.

Between 1996 and 2006, the population of the Queenstown Lakes District grew by 60 percent due to the region’s booming tourism industry. Approximately 80 percent of the region’s population is of European lineage with the majority being of Scottish stock—the descendants of early Scottish settlers from the early 19th century. Maori comprise approximately 7 percent of the population with a large proportion being from the Ngāi Tahu iwi or tribe. Other significant ethnic minorities include Asians, Pacific Islanders, Africans, Latin Americans and Middle Easterners.

Land area: 31,241 km²
Main Centres: Dunedin, Queenstown, Wanaka, Oamaru, Alexandra, Balclutha, Cromwell, Frankton, Moeraki, Mosgiel,

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