| 2005 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manawatu-Wanganui | 696 501 | 626 533 | 593 632 | 579 565 |
| Waikato | 676 599 | 535 350 | 515 358 | 505 869 |
| Hawke's Bay | 528 513 | 454 204 | 488 087 | 471 010 |
| Canterbury | 534 176 | 486 385 | 517 760 | 470 746 |
| Northland | 469 262 | 465 169 | 402 434 | 380 719 |
| Otago | 281 842 | 280 997 | 268 322 | 290 398 |
| Gisborne District | 300 670 | 262 073 | 272 017 | 267 599 |
| Southland | 202 326 | 186 157 | 173 798 | 172 150 |
| Wellington | 171 035 | 143 398 | 150 561 | 140 420 |
| Auckland | 167 868 | 133 998 | 120 337 | 117 458 |
| Taranaki | 130 935 | 133 687 | 118 632 | 103 546 |
| Bay of Plenty | 108 344 | 82 840 | 83 793 | 93 357 |
| Marlborough District | 63 620 | 60 852 | 51 103 | 60 127 |
| Tasman District | 45 222 | 49 783 | 46 355 | 40 149 |
| West Coast | 32 275 | 31 816 | 29 531 | 29 002 |
| Nelson City | 3 665 | 1 471 |