Population mythbusters

In population mythbusters we examine some common beliefs about population in New Zealand to see whether they hold any truth. By subjecting these facts, fudges, and fallacies to a range of ingenious tests we hope to clarify confusion, bury misconceptions, and encourage debate.

Some of these beliefs make demographers and other people working with population information shake our heads in despair, scratch our heads in thought, or just yell 'No!'

Many of these beliefs persist over time while others apply to a more specific historical context. Whether these ‘myths’ prove to be true or false, the ideas behind them remain useful to anyone interested in our society and economy over time. You’ll find links to the most recent data related to each topic at the end of each page.

The myths

Births

• More women are remaining childless 
• New Zealand is in the middle of a baby boom 
• New Zealand women are having their first child at age 30
• In 2003, 4 out of 5 Asian women aborted their babies 

Ethnicity

• The ‘browning’ of New Zealand 

Life expectancy

• The average life expectancy for males is six years less than for females 

Marital status

• One-half of all marriages end in divorce 
• The ‘seven-year itch’ – married couples tend to divorce after seven years 

Migration and diaspora

• New Zealand's population is only growing because of migration
• New Zealand is losing more skilled and educated people than we’re gaining in the ‘brain drain’ 
• New Zealand’s population is drifting north 
• At least 1 million New Zealanders live overseas 
• New Zealanders surged home from overseas because of 9/11

Population

• Before the 2011/12 earthquakes, Christchurch had overtaken Wellington to become New Zealand’s second largest city 
• New Zealand is home to 3 million people and 60 million sheep
• More people are alive today than have ever lived
• The return of expatriates is the key to maintaining population growth

Submit a myth

We are on the lookout for more population myths to verify. If you know of another population myth or misconception that you would like us to analyse, please contact us at demography@stats.govt.nz