Statistics New Zealand defines urban areas of New Zealand for statistical purposes (they have no administrative or legal basis). The urban areas comprise cities, towns and other conurbations (an aggregation of urban settlements) of a thousand people or more. In combination, the urban areas of the country constitute New Zealand's urban population. As of, the urban population made up % of New Zealand's total population. The current standard for urban areas is the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18), which replaced the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992 (NZSAC92) in 2018. There are four classes of urban area under SSGA18: Each urban area consists of one or more level-2 statistical areas (SA2s). Urban areas under SSGA18 do not cross territorial authority boundaries, with one exception (Richmond, which lies in the Tasman District but includes the Daelyn SA2 area from neighbouring Nelson City). Statistics New Zealand also defines rural settlements with a population of 200 to 999 people or at least 40 dwellings. While these do not fit the standard international definition of an urban population, they serve to distinguish between true rural dwellers and those in rural settlements or towns. There are 402 rural settlements which combined have a population of (% of the total population). In 2023, Stats NZ updated the 2018 standard for geographical areas with the new NZ Statistical standard for geographic areas 2023. While similar, the new standard has added a new geographical area (SA3), has upgraded Wanaka to a medium urban area, seven rural settlements to small urban areas and has created thirteen new rural settlements.

[Urban areas correspond to the more densely populated areas of New Zealand:

{{legend|#eae68a|100 people per square km and above}} {{legend|#fbd682|250 people per square km and above}} {{legend|#f8b267|500 people per square km and above}} {{legend|#f58b51|750 people per square km and above}} {{legend|#ee5536|1000 people per square km and above}} {{legend|#fd0404|2000 people per square km and above}} {{legend|#cb0403|3000 people per square km and above}} {{legend|#a30302|4000 people per square km and above}} | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/NewZealandPopulationDensity.png]

Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018

The following shows the urban areas as classified under SSGA18 (adjusted according to SSGA23 update).

Major urban areas

Large urban areas

Medium urban areas

Small urban areas

Rural settlements

North Island

South Island

Offshore islands

New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992

Under the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992 (NZSAC92), there are three classes of urban area:

Main urban areas

The population figures shown are Statistics New Zealand's resident population estimates at For rankings in various criteria see the ranked list of New Zealand urban areas by population. Four main urban areas are subdivided into urban zones. The following cities are listed by location from north to south.

North Island

South Island

Secondary urban areas

The population figures shown are Statistics New Zealand's resident population estimates at the The following towns are listed by location from north to south.

North Island

South Island

Minor urban areas

North Island

South Island

Changes to classification

Original classification No change

Related lists