New Zealand households projected to climb half million

There are projected to be nearly 2.3 million households in New Zealand by 2043, an increase of nearly half a million from 1.8 million in 2018, Stats NZ said today.

The number of households in New Zealand is expected to grow on average by 0.9 percent a year over the 25-year projection period. The increased number of households reflects a growing population, an older population structure, and changes in household composition. National population projections: 2020(base)-2073 shows that the New Zealand population is expected to grow at about 0.9 percent a year over the same 25-year period.

Family and household projections indicate future trends in the size and broad types of families and households usually living in New Zealand. A household is defined as one person usually living alone (one-person household), or two or more people usually living together and sharing facilities in a private dwelling (family household or other multi-person household). Here, a family consists of a couple, with or without child(ren), or one parent with child(ren), usually living together in a household.

"Most households contain at least one family, and a family household can include more than one family," population estimates and projections manager Hamish Slack said.

"Family households are projected to increase the fastest at about 1.1 percent a year, from 1.3 million in 2018 to 1.7 million in 2043."

One-person households are also projected to increase on average by 0.7 percent a year, from 393,000 in 2018 to 465,000 in 2043.

"Growth in one-person households is mainly due to the increasing number of people at older ages," Mr Slack said.

"In 2018, just under half of people who lived in one-person households were aged 65 and over, but this is projected to increase to nearly two-thirds by 2043."

Other multi-person households, which generally include unrelated people living together in a household, are increasing more slowly (0.2 percent a year), from 94,000 in 2018 to 99,000 in 2043.

"Housing and rental affordability could impact on where young people choose to live," Mr Slack said. "This might see them living with parents or other family members."

In 2018, 14 percent of people living with their parents were aged 20-34 years. This is projected to increase to 18 percent in 2043.