Editing South Island (section)

== Demographics ==
{{further|List of cities and towns in the South Island|Cities and towns of the South Island by population}}

=== Population ===
{{Historical populations
|1991|852,843
|1996|899,382
|2001|906,759
|2006|1,022,313
|2013|1,058,058
|2018|1,149,564
|percentages=pagr|source=<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archive.stats.govt.nz/Census/2001-census-data/2001-census-regional-summary.aspx |title=2001 Census: Regional summary |website=archive.stats.govt.nz |language=en-nz |access-date=28 April 2020 }}</ref><ref name="Census 2018"/>|2023|1,185,282}}
Compared to the more populated and multi-ethnic North Island, the South Island has a smaller, more homogeneous resident population of {{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y|y|y|(|).}}

The South Island had a population of 1,185,282 at the [[2023 New Zealand census]], an increase of 80,745 people (7.3%) since the [[2018 New Zealand census|2018 census]], and an increase of 180,882 people (18.0%) since the [[2013 New Zealand census|2013 census]]. Of the total population, 202,311 people (17.1%) were aged under 15 years, 225,048 (19.0%) were 15 to 29, 538,965 (45.5%) were 30 to 64, and 218,958 (18.5%) were 65 or older.<ref name=":03">{{Cite web |title=2023 Census population counts (by ethnic group, age, and Māori descent) and dwelling counts {{!}} Stats NZ |url=https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/2023-census-population-counts-by-ethnic-group-age-and-maori-descent-and-dwelling-counts/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |website=www.stats.govt.nz }}</ref>

At the 2018 census, there were 571,656 males and 577,914 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.99 males per female.<ref name="Census 2018">{{Cite web |title=Age and sex by ethnic group (grouped total responses), for census night population counts, 2006, 2013, and 2018 Censuses (RC, TA, SA2, DHB) |url=http://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=TABLECODE8317 |access-date=18 May 2020 |website=nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz }}</ref>

In the early years of European settlement in New Zealand, the South Island's overall percentage of the New Zealand population was far higher, equalling or even exceeding the population of the North Island. This was exacerbated by the [[New Zealand Wars]] and the [[Otago gold rush]] of the 1860s. Since that time, the South Island's population as a percentage of the country's total population has steadily decreased, with the population of the South island now being less than that of the North Island's largest city, Auckland. This growing disparity has stabilised in recent years, with both the [[2013 New Zealand census|2013]] and [[2018 New Zealand census|2018 censuses]] showing the South Island to have a very similar percentage of the national population (around 23%–24%).

=== Culture and identity ===
[[File:Christchurch_Skyline_2015.jpg|thumb|[[Christchurch]], the most populous city in [[South Island]]]]
[[File:Dunedin,_New_Zealand_at_night.jpg|thumb|[[Dunedin]]]]
[[File:Nelson_New_Zealand.jpg|thumb|[[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]]]]
[[File:Market Street, Blenheim, New Zealand 2022-06-05.jpg|thumb|Market Street, Blenheim]]
[[File:Timaru-Stafford.St.jpg|thumb|Stafford Street, the heart of Timaru's CBD]]
At the 2023 census, 82.8% of South Islanders identified as [[European New Zealanders|European]] ([[Pākehā]]), 11.3% as [[Māori people|Māori]], 3.4% as [[Pasifika New Zealanders|Pacific peoples]], 10.5% as [[Asian New Zealanders|Asian]], 1.6% as Middle Eastern/Latin American/African, 1.4% as other ethnicities. Percentages add to more than 100% as people can identify with more than one ethnicity.<ref name=":03" />

Europeans form the majority in all districts of the South Island, ranging from 75.9% in Christchurch City to 92.1% in the [[Waimakariri District|Waimakariri district]].<ref name=":03" />

The proportion of South Islanders born overseas at the 2018 census was 21.4%. The most common foreign countries of birth are England (22.0% of overseas-born residents), Australia (8.8%), the Philippines (7.9%), Mainland China (6.5%) and India (5.4%).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Birthplace (detailed), for the census usually resident population count, 2006, 2013, and 2018 Censuses (RC, TA, SA2, DHB) |url=http://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=TABLECODE8279 |access-date=18 February 2021 |website=nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz }}</ref>

Around 48.6 percent of South Islanders affiliate with Christianity and 3.1 percent affiliate with non-Christian religions, while 45.8 percent are irreligious. [[Anglicanism]] is the largest Christian denomination in the South Island with 12.7 percent affiliating, closely followed by [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]] at 12.1 percent and [[Presbyterianism]] at 11.7 percent.<ref name="quickstats_culture">{{cite web |date=15 April 2014 |title=2013 Census QuickStats about culture and identity – data tables |url=http://www.stats.govt.nz/~/media/Statistics/Census/2013%20Census/profile-and-summary-reports/quickstats-culture-identity/tables.xls |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140524102811/http://www.stats.govt.nz/~/media/Statistics/Census/2013%20Census/profile-and-summary-reports/quickstats-culture-identity/tables.xls |archive-date=24 May 2014 |access-date=25 January 2016 |publisher=[[Statistics New Zealand]]}} Note some percentages (e.g. ethnicity, language) may add to more than 100 percent as people could give multiple responses.</ref> These figures are somewhat skewed between the regions of the south, due largely to the original settlement of southern cities (Dunedin, for example, was founded by Scottish Presbyterians, whereas Christchurch was founded by English Anglicans).
===Urbanisation===
The South Island is sparsely populated and still predominantly rural areas or nature reserves. However, there are 15 urban areas in the South Island with a population of 10,000 or more:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;"
|-
! Name
! Population<br /><small>({{NZ population data 2018|||y|y||)}}</small>
! % of island
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Christchurch]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Christchurch|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Christchurch|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Dunedin]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Dunedin|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Dunedin|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Nelson|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Nelson|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Invercargill]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Invercargill|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Invercargill|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Blenheim, New Zealand|Blenheim]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Blenheim|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Blenheim|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[Rolleston, New Zealand|Rolleston]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Rolleston|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Rolleston|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[Queenstown, New Zealand|Queenstown]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Queenstown|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Queenstown|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Timaru]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Timaru|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Timaru|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Ashburton, New Zealand|Ashburton]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Ashburton|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Ashburton|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Rangiora]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Rangiora|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Rangiora|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Richmond, New Zealand|Richmond]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Richmond|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Richmond|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Mosgiel]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Mosgiel|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Mosgiel|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Oamaru]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Oamaru|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Oamaru|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Kaiapoi]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Kaiapoi|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Kaiapoi|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Wānaka]]
|{{NZ population data 2018|Wanaka|y}}
|{{Rnd|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Wanaka|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|South Island regions|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%
|-
|}
{{Clear}}