Urban rural 2023 update

UR 2023 is the first major update of the geography since it was first created in 2018. The update is to ensure UR geographies are relevant and meet criteria before each five-yearly population and dwelling census. UR 2023 contains 13 new rural settlements and 7 new small urban areas. Updates were made to reflect real world change including new subdivisions and motorways, and to improve delineation of urban areas and rural settlements. The Wānaka urban area, whose population has grown to be more than 10,000 based on population estimates, has been reclassified to a medium urban area in the 2023 urban rural indicator.

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In the 2023 classification there are:

• 7 major urban areas
• 13 large urban areas
• 23 medium urban areas
• 152 small urban areas
• 402 rural settlements.

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This dataset is the definitive version of the annually released urban rural (UR) boundaries as at 1 January 2023 as defined by Stats NZ. This version contains 745 UR areas, including 195 urban areas and 402 rural settlements.

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Urban rural (UR) is an output geography that classifies New Zealand into areas that share common urban or rural characteristics and is used to disseminate a broad range of Stats NZ’s social, demographic and economic statistics.

The UR separately identifies urban areas, rural settlements, other rural areas, and water areas. Urban areas and rural settlements are form-based geographies delineated by the inspection of aerial imagery, local government land designations on district plan maps, address registers, property title data, and any other available information. However, because the underlying meshblock pattern is used to define the geographies, boundaries may not align exactly with local government land designations or what can be seen in aerial images. Other rural areas, and bodies of water represent areas not included within an urban area.

Urban areas are built from the statistical area 2 (SA2) geography, while rural and water areas are built from the statistical area 1 (SA1) geography.

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Non-digitised

The following 4 non-digitised UR areas have been aggregated from the 16 non-digitised meshblocks/SA2s.

6901; Oceanic outside region, 6902; Oceanic oil rigs, 6903; Islands outside region, 6904; Ross Dependency outside region.

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UR numbering and naming

Each urban area and rural settlement is a single geographic entity with a name and a numeric code.

Other rural areas, inland water areas, and inlets are defined by territorial authority; oceanic areas are defined by regional council; and each have a name and a numeric code.

Urban rural codes have four digits. North Island locations start with a 1, South Island codes start with a 2, oceanic codes start with a 6 and non-digitised codes start with 69.

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Urban rural indicator (IUR)

The accompanying urban rural indicator (IUR) classifies the urban, rural, and water areas by type. Urban areas are further classified by the size of their estimated resident population:

• major urban area – 100,000 or more residents,
• large urban area – 30,000–99,999 residents,
• medium urban area – 10,000–29,999 residents,
• small urban area – 1,000–9,999 residents.

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This was based on 2018 Census data and 2021 population estimates. Their IUR status (urban area size/rural settlement) may change if the 2023 Census population count moves them up or down a category.

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The indicators, by name, with their codes in brackets, are:

urban area – major urban (11), large urban (12), medium urban (13), small urban (14),

rural area – rural settlement (21), rural other (22),

water – inland water (31), inlet (32), oceanic (33).

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The urban rural indicator complements the urban rural geography and is an attribute in this dataset. Further information on the urban rural indicator is available on the Stats NZ classification and coding tool ARIA.

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For more information please refer to the Statistical standard for geographic areas 2023.

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Generalised version

This generalised version has been simplified for rapid drawing and is designed for thematic or web mapping purposes.

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Macrons

Names are provided with and without tohutō/macrons. The column name for those without macrons is suffixed ‘ascii’.

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Digital data

Digital boundary data became freely available on 1 July 2007.

To download geographic classifications in table formats such as CSV please use Ariā

Actual value and historical data chart for New Zealand Rural Population Percent Of Total Population

New Zealand: Rural population, percent of total population: The latest value from 2024 is 12.91 percent, a decline from 13.02 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 38.30 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for New Zealand from 1960 to 2024 is 15.97 percent. The minimum value, 12.91 percent, was reached in 2024 while the maximum of 24 percent was recorded in 1960.

New Zealand NZ: Rural Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 13.534 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 13.600 % for 2016. New Zealand NZ: Rural Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 15.613 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24.002 % in 1960 and a record low of 13.534 % in 2017. New Zealand NZ: Rural Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

New Zealand NZ: Rural Population Growth data was reported at 1.808 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.822 % for 2016. New Zealand NZ: Rural Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.227 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.585 % in 1991 and a record low of -1.258 % in 1988. New Zealand NZ: Rural Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2014 Revision.; Weighted average;

Historical dataset showing New Zealand rural population by year from 1960 to 2023.

Refer to the 'Current Geographic Boundaries Table' layer for a list of all current geographies and recent updates.

This dataset is the definitive version of the annually released urban rural (UR) boundaries as at 1 January 2025 as defined by Stats NZ, clipped to the coastline. This clipped version has been created for cartographic purposes and so does not fully represent the official full extent boundaries. This version contains 689 UR areas, including 195 urban areas and 402 rural settlements.

Urban rural (UR) is an output geography that classifies New Zealand into areas that share common urban or rural characteristics and is used to disseminate a broad range of Stats NZ’s social, demographic and economic statistics.

The UR separately identifies urban areas, rural settlements, other rural areas, and water areas. Urban areas and rural settlements are form-based geographies delineated by the inspection of aerial imagery, local government land designations on district plan maps, address registers, property title data, and any other available information. However, because the underlying meshblock pattern is used to define the geographies, boundaries may not align exactly with local government land designations or what can be seen in aerial images. Other rural areas, and bodies of water represent areas not included within an urban area.

Urban areas are built from the statistical area 2 (SA2) geography, while rural and water areas are built from the statistical area 1 (SA1) geography.

Urban areas

Urban areas are statistically defined areas with no administrative or legal basis. They are characterised by high population density with many built environment features where people and buildings are located close together for residential, cultural, productive, trade and social purposes.

Urban areas are delineated using the following criteria. They:

form a contiguous cluster of one or more SA2s,

contain an estimated resident population of more than 1,000 people and usually have a population density of more than 400 residents or 200 address points per square kilometre,

have a high coverage of built physical structures and artificial landscapes such as:

• residential dwellings and apartments,
• commercial structures, such as factories, office complexes, and shopping centres,
• transport and communication facilities, such as airports, ports and port facilities, railway stations, bus stations and similar transport hubs, and communications infrastructure,
• medical, education, and community facilities,
• tourist attractions and accommodation facilities,
• waste disposal and sewerage facilities,
• cemeteries,
• sports and recreation facilities, such as stadiums, golf courses, racecourses, showgrounds, and fitness centres,
• green spaces, such as community parks, gardens, and reserves,

have strong economic ties where people gather together to work, and for social, cultural, and recreational interaction,

have planned development within the next 5–8 years.

Urban boundaries are independent of local government and other administrative boundaries. However, the Richmond urban area, which is mainly in the Tasman District, is the only urban area that crosses territorial authority boundaries

Rural areas

Rural areas are classified as rural settlements or other rural.

Rural settlements

Rural settlements are statistically defined areas with no administrative or legal basis. A rural settlement is a cluster of residential dwellings about a place that usually contains at least one community or public building.

Rural settlements are delineated using the following criteria. They:

form a contiguous cluster of one or more SA1s,

contain an estimated resident population of 200–1,000, or at least 40 residential dwellings,

represent a reasonably compact area or have a visible centre of population with a population density of at least 200 residents per square kilometre or 100 address points per square kilometre,

contain at least one community or public building, such as a church, school, or shop.

To reach the target SA2 population size of more than 1,000 residents, rural settlements are usually included with other rural SA1s to form an SA2. In some instances, the settlement and the SA2 have the same name, for example, Kirwee rural settlement is part of the Kirwee SA2.

Some rural settlements whose populations are just under 1,000 are a single SA2. Creating separate SA2s for these rural settlements allows for easy reclassification to urban areas if their populations grow beyond 1,000.

Other rural

Other rural areas are the mainland areas and islands located outside urban areas or rural settlements. Other rural areas include land used for agriculture and forestry, conservation areas, and regional and national parks. Other rural areas are defined by territorial authority.

Water

Bodies of water are classified separately, using the land/water demarcation classification described in the Statistical standard for meshblock. These water areas are not named and are defined by territorial authority or regional council.

The water classes include:

inland water – non-contiguous, defined by territorial authority,

inlets (which also includes tidal areas and harbours) – non-contiguous, defined by territorial authority,

oceanic – non-contiguous, defined by regional council.

To minimise suppression of population data, separate meshblocks have been created for marinas. These meshblocks are attached to adjacent land in the UR geography.

Non-digitised

The following 4 non-digitised UR areas have been aggregated from the 16 non-digitised meshblocks/SA2s.

6901; Oceanic outside region, 6902; Oceanic oil rigs, 6903; Islands outside region, 6904; Ross Dependency outside region.

UR numbering and naming

Each urban area and rural settlement is a single geographic entity with a name and a numeric code.

Other rural areas, inland water areas, and inlets are defined by territorial authority; oceanic areas are defined by regional council; and each have a name and a numeric code.

Urban rural codes have four digits. North Island locations start with a 1, South Island codes start with a 2, oceanic codes start with a 6 and non-digitised codes start with 69.

Urban rural indicator (IUR)

The accompanying urban rural indicator (IUR) classifies the urban, rural, and water areas by type. Urban areas are further classified by the size of their estimated resident population:

• major urban area – 100,000 or more residents,
• large urban area – 30,000–99,999 residents,
• medium urban area – 10,000–29,999 residents,
• small urban area – 1,000–9,999 residents.

This was based on 2018 Census data and 2021 population estimates. Their IUR status (urban area size/rural settlement) may change if the 2025 Census population count moves them up or down a category.

The indicators, by name, with their codes in brackets, are:

urban area – major urban (11), large urban (12), medium urban (13), small urban (14),

rural area – rural settlement (21), rural other (22),

water – inland water (31), inlet (32), oceanic (33).

Clipped Version

This clipped version has been created for cartographic purposes and so does not fully represent the official full extent boundaries.

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High definition version

This high definition (HD) version is the most detailed geometry, suitable for use in GIS for geometric analysis operations and for the computation of areas, centroids and other metrics. The HD version is aligned to the LINZ cadastre.

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Macrons

Names are provided with and without tohutō/macrons. The column name for those without macrons is suffixed ‘ascii’.

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Digital data

Digital boundary data became freely available on 1 July 2007.

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Further information

To download geographic classifications in table formats such as CSV please use Ariā

For more information please refer to the Statistical standard for geographic areas 2023.

Contact: geography@stats.govt.nz

This dataset is the definitive set of annually released urban rural boundaries for 2022 as defined by Stats NZ. This version contains 722 urban rural features.

The urban rural geography was introduced as part of the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18) which replaced the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification (NZSAC92). The urban rural geography replaces the (NZSAC92) urban area geography.

Urban rural is an output geography that classifies New Zealand into areas that share common urban or rural characteristics and is used to disseminate a broad range of Stats NZ’s social, demographic, and economic statistics.

The urban rural indicator complements the urban rural geography and is an attribute in this dataset. Further information on the urban rural indicator is available on the Stats NZ classification and coding tool ARIA.

Names are provided with and without tohutō/macrons. The name field without macrons is suffixed ‘ascii’.

This generalised version has been simplified for rapid drawing and is designed for thematic or web mapping purposes.

Digital boundary data became freely available on 1 July 2007.

New Zealand NZ: Rural Population data was reported at 653,648.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 641,936.000 Person for 2016. New Zealand NZ: Rural Population data is updated yearly, averaging 546,470.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 653,648.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 508,061.000 Person in 1990. New Zealand NZ: Rural Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2014 Revision.; Sum;

Rural population growth (annual %) in New Zealand was reported at 0.94914 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. New Zealand - Rural population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

This dataset is the definitive set of annually released urban rural boundaries for 2020 as defined by Stats NZ. This version contains 721 urban rural categories.

The urban rural geography was introduced as part of the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18) which replaced the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification (NZSAC92). The urban rural geography replaces the (NZSAC92) urban area geography.

Urban rural is an output geography that classifies New Zealand into areas that share common urban or rural characteristics and is used to disseminate a broad range of Stats NZ’s social, demographic and economic statistics.

Update: Following the 2018 Census ten rural settlements were reclassified as small urban areas in the Urban Rural 2020 classification. These are: Haruru, Ngunguru, Waipu, Parakai, Patumahoe Village, Pauanui, Pirongia, Mapua, Clyde and Lake Hawea.

The urban rural indicator complements the urban rural geography and is an attribute in this dataset. Further information on the urban rural indicator is available on the Stats NZ classification and coding tool ARIA.

Names are provided with and without tohutō/macrons. The name field without macrons is suffixed ‘ascii’.

This generalised version has been simplified for rapid drawing and is designed for thematic or web mapping purposes.

Digital boundary data became freely available on 1 July 2007.

This dataset contains information on:

· Estimated resident population (ERP) at 30 June 1996, 2001, 2006, 2013, and 2018 for total population

· ERP at 30 June 2018 by ethnic groups (European or Other (including New Zealander), Māori, Pacific, Asian, and Middle Eastern/Latin American/African) – estimates and percentage

· Sex ratio – number of males per 100 females

· ERP at 30 June 2018 by broad age groups and median age

· Geographies available are regional council areas, territorial authority and Auckland local board areas, Statistical Area 2, and urban rural.

Note: The geography corresponds to 2020 boundaries

Note: -999 indicates data are not available.

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About the estimated resident population

The estimated resident population at 30 June in the census year is based on the census usually resident population count, with updates for:

· net census undercount (as measured by a post-enumeration survey)

· residents temporarily overseas on census night

· births, deaths and net migration between census night and 30 June

· reconciliation with demographic estimates at the youngest ages.

The estimated resident population is not directly comparable with the census usually resident population count because of these adjustments.

For more detailed information about the methods used to calculate each base population, see DataInfo+ Demographic estimates.

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Ethnic groups

It is important to note that these ethnic groups are not mutually exclusive because people can and do identify with more than one ethnicity. People who identify with more than one ethnicity have been included in each ethnic group.

The 'Māori', 'Pacific', 'Asian' and 'Middle Eastern/Latin American/African' ethnic groups are defined in level 1 of the Ethnicity New Zealand Standard Classification 2005. The estimates for the 'European or Other (including New Zealander)' group include people who belong to the 'European' or 'Other ethnicity' groups defined in level 1 of the standard classification. If a person belongs to both the 'European' and 'Other ethnicity' groups they have only been counted once. Almost all people in the 'Other ethnicity' group belong to the 'New Zealander' sub-group.

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Time series

This time series is irregular. Because the 2011 Census was cancelled after the Canterbury earthquake on 22 February 2011, the gap between the 2006-base and 2013-base estimated resident population is seven years. The change in data between 2006 and 2013 may be greater than in the usual five-year gap between censuses. Be careful when comparing trends.

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Rounding

Individual figures may not sum to stated totals due to rounding.

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More information

See Estimated resident population (2018-base): At 30 June 2018 for commentary about the 2018 ERP.

Subnational population estimates concepts – DataInfo+ provides definitions of terms used in the map.

Access more population estimates data in NZ.Stat:

Theme: Population estimates.

This bar chart displays rural population (people) by date using the aggregation sum in New Zealand. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

New Zealand NZ: Rural Land Area data was reported at 253,834.703 sq km in 2010. This stayed constant from the previous number of 253,834.703 sq km for 2000. New Zealand NZ: Rural Land Area data is updated yearly, averaging 253,834.703 sq km from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2010, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 253,834.703 sq km in 2010 and a record low of 253,834.703 sq km in 2010. New Zealand NZ: Rural Land Area data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.World Bank: Land Use, Protected Areas and National Wealth. Rural land area in square kilometers, derived from urban extent grids which distinguish urban and rural areas based on a combination of population counts (persons), settlement points, and the presence of Nighttime Lights. Areas are defined as urban where contiguous lighted cells from the Nighttime Lights or approximated urban extents based on buffered settlement points for which the total population is greater than 5,000 persons.; ; Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)/Columbia University. 2013. Urban-Rural Population and Land Area Estimates Version 2. Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/lecz-urban-rural-population-land-area-estimates-v2.; Sum;

People using at least basic drinking water services, rural (% of rural population) in New Zealand was reported at 100% in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. New Zealand - People using at least basic drinking water services, rural (% of rural population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

The 2013 Census usually resident population count, household, and occupied dwellings (private and non-private) data has been rebased to the 2018 meshblock geography and is shown according to the new statistical geographies and urban rural classification developed as a result of the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18) review. The data is experimental and is provided as a guide to understanding the impact of the new geographic boundaries on the previous census counts.

Note: This data has been randomly rounded to protect confidentiality. Individual figures may not add up to totals, and values for the same data may vary in different tables

For further information see the attachments below: Information about data; 2013 Census counts on UR2018 lookup; and ANZLIC 2018 Metadata Urban Rural.

Actual value and historical data chart for New Zealand Access To Electricity Rural Percent Of Rural Population

This dataset is the definitive set of annually released urban rural boundaries for 2022, as defined by Stats NZ (the custodian), clipped to the coastline. This clipped version has been created for map creation/cartographic purposes and so does not fully represent the official full extent boundaries. This version contains 668 urban rural features.

The urban rural geography was introduced as part of the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18) which replaced the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification (NZSAC92). The urban rural geography replaces the (NZSAC92) urban area geography. Urban rural is an output geography that classifies New Zealand into areas that share common urban or rural characteristics and is used to disseminate a broad range of Stats NZ’s social, demographic and economic statistics.

The urban rural indicator complements the urban rural geography and is an attribute in this dataset. Further information on the urban rural indicator is available on the Stats NZ classification and coding tool ARIA.

Names are provided with and without tohutō/macrons. The name field without macrons is suffixed ‘ascii’.

This generalised version has been simplified for rapid drawing and is designed for thematic or web mapping purposes.

Digital boundary data became freely available on 1 July 2007.

2023 Functional Urban Area update

For the 2023 FUA, there have been minor updates from the 2018 FUAs to align with changes to urban rural (UR) boundaries and statistical area 1 (SA1) composition. FUA 2023 is still based on the analysis of 2018 Census of Population and Dwellings commuting data. The Wanaka urban area, whose population has grown to be more than 10,000 based on population estimates, has been reclassified to a medium urban area in the 2023 UR and a medium regional centre in the FUA type.

Description

This dataset is the definitive version of the Functional Urban Area boundaries as at 1 January 2023, as defined by Stats NZ.

The functional urban area (FUA) classification identifies small urban areas and rural areas that are integrated with major, large, and medium urban areas to create FUAs. In 2023, there are 53 FUAs,excluding ‘land area outside functional urban area’ (9001) and ‘water area outside functional urban area’ (9002). The FUA classificationuses the urban rural (UR) geography to demarcate urban areas, and statistical area 1 areas(SA1s) to demarcate surrounding hinterland (the commuting zone) within FUAs, and rural and water areas outside FUAs.

FUAs represent a populated urban core/s and its commuting zone. Workplace address and usual residence address data from the 2018 Census of Population and Dwellings were used to identify satellite urban areas (1,000–4,999 residents), rural settlements and other rural SA1s from which at least 40 percent of workers commuted to urban areas with more than 5,000 residents.

FUA numbering and naming

The FUA classification identifies FUAs by the name of the most highly populated urban area it contains, for example, the Christchurch FUA includes the Christchurch urban core and Rangiora, Kaiapoi, and Rolleston secondary urban cores. There is one exception to the naming rule. The Paraparaumu-Waikanae-Paekakariki conurbation and surrounding hinterland is named Kapiti Coast.

The FUA classification has a two-level hierarchical structure, joined together to create each FUA code. Level 1 is classified by FUA type (TFUA) a one-digit code and level 2, which has three-digit codes numbered approximately north to south. Some examples are: 1001 Auckland, 2001 Whangārei, 3001 Cambridge, and 4001 Kaitāia.

FUA type (TFUA)

FUAs are further categorised by population size. The urban core’s population rather than the entire FUA’s population is used to maintain consistency between the descriptions of UR urban area and FUA type. The categories are, by code:

1 Metropolitan area – more than 100,000 residents living in the urban core,

2 Large regional centre – urban core population 30,000–99,999,

3 Medium regional centre – urban core population 10,000–29,999,

4 Small regional centre – urban core population 5,000–9,999, and,

9 Area outside functional urban area.

The Greymouth urban area population is less than 10,000 but is classified as a medium regional centre, consistent with its treatment as a medium urban area in the UA classification.

To differentiate from the UR classification, when referring to FUAs by name, their FUA type should also be mentioned, for example, Christchurch metropolitan area, Whangarei regional centre.

FUA indicator (IFUA)

The IFUA classifies UR2023 urban areas and rural SA1s according to their character within their FUA. The indicators, with their codes in brackets, are:

• urban area within functional urban area – urban core (101), secondary urban core (102), satellite urban area (103),

• rural area within functional urban area – hinterland (201),

• area outside functional urban area – land area outside functional urban area (901), water area outside functional urban area (902).

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Further information on the urban rural indicator is available on the Stats NZ classification tool Ariā.

For more information please refer to the Statistical standard for geographic areas 2023.

​

Generalised version

This generalised version has been simplified for rapid drawing and is designed for thematic or web mapping purposes.

​

Macrons

Names are provided with and without tohutō/macrons. The column name for those without macrons is suffixed ‘ascii’.

​

Digital data

Digital boundary data became freely available on 1 July 2007.