Facts and figures

Regional statistics

Get to know the Nelson region statistically.

 

Population

Population
Region Population
Nelson City 42,891
Tasman region 44,625

Nelson’s population increased by 3 percent between 2001 and 2006 and Tasman’s population increased 8 percent. The total population for New Zealand also increased by 8 percent over the same period. By 2031, Nelson’s population is projected to be 49,900 and Tasman’s will be 53,200.

Source: Census 2006 and Population Projections 2006(base) -2031 medium series, Statistics NZ

 

Ethnic groups

Ethnic groups
Ethnicity Nelson Tasman NZ
European 78% 80% 65%
NZ Maori 8% 7% 14%
Pacific Islands 2% 1% 7%
Asian 2% 1% 9%
Other 17% 18% 16%
Note: The percentages do not sum to 100 because people may have stated they belong to more than one ethnic group.
Source: Census 2006, Statistics NZ

 

Age distribution

Age distribution
Age range
Nelson
Tasman
NZ
Median Age
39.4
40.3
35.9
Age range (% of population)      
Under 15 years
19.2%
21.5%
21.5%
15-64 years
66.3%
64.9%
66.2%
65 years and over
14.5%
13.6%
12.3%
Source: Census 2006, Statistics NZ

 

Unemployment

Unemployment
 
Nelson
Tasman
NZ
Unemployment Rate
4.2%
2.5%
5.1%

Source: Census 2006, Statistics NZ

 

Rent

Rent
 
Nelson
Tasman
NZ
Rent - per week
(average)
Source: Census 2006, Statistics NZ
$211
$186
$201

 

Occupation

Occupation % for those working over 15 years of age
Source: Census 2006
Occupation
Nelson
Tasman
NZ
Managers
13.8%
19.0%
17.1%
Professionals
19.3%
13.4%
18.9%
Technicians & Trade
12.5%
11.9%
12.2%
Community & Personal Service
8.6%
7.4%
7.9%
Clerical & Administrative
11.5%
9.6%
12.1%
Sales
9.2%
7.8%
9.4%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
5.6%
6.1%
5.8%
Labourers
14.8%
19.7%
11.0%
Not included elsewhere
4.6%
5.1%
5.7%

 

Qualifications

Highest qualification (% of population, aged 15 years and over).
Source: Census 2006, Statistics NZ
  Nelson Tasman
No qualification 23 25
Level 1-4 (secondary school or equivalent) 46 47
Level 5-10 (diploma, degree, tertiary qualification) 23 20
Not elsewhere included 9 9

 

Climate

Climate
Nelson city
Average annual rainfall 1043mm
Average sunshine hours per year 2,449 hours
Nelson is one of New Zealand’s sunniest regions.

 

 

Temperature

Temperature (Celsius)
Season
Average Maximum
Average Minimum
Spring
19
9
Summer
22
 12
Autumn 16 6
Winter
14
 4
*Source: NIWA, based on rainfall and temperature records since 1862 and sunshine records since 1908.

 

Business

Business
Nelson City
In 2006 there were 5,301 businesses in Nelson and 6,226 in Tasman.

Source:Business Demography Statistics, Statistics NZ.

 

Area

Land area of the Nelson region.
  Square Metres
 Square Kilometres
Nelson 422,401,584 sqm
 422.4 sqkm
Tasman 9,733,948,742 sqm 9,733.95 sqkm

Download a map of the Nelson City Council unitary area. (118KB JPG)