Editing List of cities in New Zealand (section)

===Urban areas based on 2018 standard===
[[Statistics New Zealand]] creates standards for statistical geographic areas that are the basis for determining population figures. Statistics New Zealand announced in 2017 that the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18) would replace the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992 (NZSAC92). The change impacted Wellington most, by splitting it into four urban areas, being the Wellington city and Lower Hutt city "major urban areas" and Porirua and Upper Hutt "large urban areas". As defined by SSGA18, Wellington approximately halved in size, and Lower Hutt entered the city rankings in sixth place between Tauranga and Dunedin.<ref name="Mitchell_opinion">{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=Charlie |date=15 January 2020 |title=Christchurch is New Zealand's second city, deal with it |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/118802046/christchurch-is-new-zealands-second-city-deal-with-it |access-date=20 January 2020}}</ref> 

The table below contains all "major urban areas" (100,000 or more residents) and all "large urban areas" (30,000 to 99,999 residents).<ref>{{cite book |isbn= 978-1-98-852841-0 |title=Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 |url= https://www.stats.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Retirement-of-archive-website-project-files/Methods/Statistical-standard-for-geographic-areas-2018/statistical-standard-for-geographic-areas-2018.pdf |publisher=[[Statistics New Zealand]] |access-date=23 July 2021 |page=15 |date=2017 |location=Wellington}}</ref> The urban area that will next move from the "medium urban area" category to the "large urban area" category is [[Paraparaumu]] ({{NZ population data 2018|Paraparaumu|y}}).

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|+ "Major" and "large" urban areas
! Rank
! Urban area
! Population
! Area <br />(km<sup>2</sup>)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Urban Rural 2018 (generalised) – GIS {{!}} New Zealand {{!}} GIS Map Data Datafinder Geospatial Statistics {{!}} Stats NZ Geographic Data Service |url=https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/layer/92218-urban-rural-2018-generalised/|access-date=2020-08-11|website=datafinder.stats.govt.nz}}</ref>
! Population <br />density (per km<sup>2</sup>)
! class="unsortable" | Image
|-
| 1
| [[Auckland]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Auckland|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|605.67}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Auckland|y}}|R}}/605.67|1}}}}
| [[File:Auckland Skyline 383495.jpg|200px|Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand]]
|-
| 2
| [[Christchurch]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Christchurch|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|294.43}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Christchurch|y}}|R}}/294.43|1}}}}
| [[File:Hagley Park 01.jpg|200px|Christchurch, the second largest city]]
|-
| 3
| [[Wellington]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Wellington|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|112.71}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Wellington|y}}|R}}/112.71|1}}}}
| [[File:Wellington_at_dawn.jpg|200px|Wellington, the capital and third largest city]]
|-
| 4
| [[Hamilton, New Zealand|Hamilton]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Hamilton|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|110.37}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Hamilton|y}}|R}}/110.37|1}}}}
| [[File:GardenPlaceHamilton.jpg|200px|Hamilton]]
|-
| 5
| [[Tauranga]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Tauranga|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|141.91}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Tauranga|y}}|R}}/141.91|1}}}}
| [[File:Tauranga New Zealand-9833.jpg|200px|Tauranga]]
|-
| 6
| [[Lower Hutt]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Lower Hutt|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|78.54}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Lower Hutt|y}}|R}}/78.54|1}}}}
| [[File:Naenae, Lower Hutt 5011, New Zealand - panoramio (2).jpg|200px|Lower Hutt]]
|-
| 7
| [[Dunedin]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Dunedin|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|91.16}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Dunedin|y}}|R}}/91.16|1}}}}
| [[File:Dunedin-railway-station.jpg|200px|Dunedin]]
|-
| 8
| [[Palmerston North]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Palmerston North|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|77.05}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Palmerston North|y}}|R}}/77.05|1}}}}
| [[File:PalmerstonNorthSquare1.jpg|200px|Palmerston North]]
|-
| 9=
| [[Hibiscus Coast]]
| align="right" | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Hibiscus Coast|y}}|R}}}}
| align="right" | {{nts|48.39}}
| align="right" | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Hibiscus Coast|y}}|R}}/48.39|1}}}}
| [[File:Gulf Harbour.JPG|200px|Gulf Harbour on the Hibiscus Coast]]
|-
| 9=
| [[Napier, New Zealand|Napier]]
| align="right" | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Napier|y}}|R}}}}
| align="right" | {{nts|105.05}}
| align="right" | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Napier|y}}|R}}/105.05|1}}}}
| [[File:Napier and bay.jpg|200px|Napier]]
|-
| 11=
| [[New Plymouth]]
| align="right" | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|New Plymouth|y}}|R}}}}
| align="right" | {{nts|74.79}}
| align="right" | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|New Plymouth|y}}|R}}/74.79|1}}}}
| [[File:Across New Plymouth to Mt. Taranaki.jpg|200px|New Plymouth]]
|-
| 11=
| [[Porirua]]
| align="right" | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Porirua|y}}|R}}}}
| align="right" | {{nts|61.19}}
| align="right" | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Porirua|y}}|R}}/61.19|1}}}}
| [[File:Aerial view of Porirua City Centre and Porirua Station.jpg|200px|Porirua]]
|-
|13
| [[Rotorua]]
| align="right" | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Rotorua|y}}|R}}}}
| align="right" | {{nts|46.06}}
| align="right" | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Rotorua|y}}|R}}/46.06|1}}}}
| [[File:Rotorua from gondola.jpg|200px|Rotorua]]
|-
| 14
| [[Whangārei]]
| align="right" | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Whangarei|y}}|R}}}}
| align="right" | {{nts|63.53}}
| align="right" | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Whangarei|y}}|R}}/63.53|1}}}}
| [[File:Parihaka te Maunga.jpg|200px|Looking westward towards central Whangārei from the Mount Parihaka lookout, with Te Matau A Pohe bridge and the suburb of Port Whangārei to the far left, the Discovery Settlers Hotel in the suburb of Regent to the far right, as well as Maungatapere and Te Tangihua in the background.]]
|-
| 15
| [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Nelson|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|54.69}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Nelson|y}}|R}}/54.69|1}}}}
| [[File:Nelson New Zealand.jpg|200px|Nelson]]
|-
| 16
| [[Invercargill]]
| align="right" | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Invercargill|y}}|R}}}}
| align="right" | {{nts|62.95}}
| align="right" | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Invercargill|y}}|R}}/62.95|1}}}}
| [[File:Downtown Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand.jpg|200px|Invercargill]]
|-
| 17
| [[Hastings, New Zealand|Hastings]]
| align="right" | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Hastings|y}}|R}}}}
| align="right" | {{nts|26.29}}
| align="right" | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Hastings|y}}|R}}/26.29|1}}}}
| [[File:Hastings CBD.JPG|200px|Hastings]]
|-
| 18
| [[Upper Hutt]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Upper Hutt|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|51.16}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Upper Hutt|y}}|R}}/51.16|1}}}}
| [[File:Upper hutt 11.JPG|200px|Upper Hutt]]
|-
| 19
| [[Whanganui]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Whanganui|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|41.05}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Whanganui|y}}|R}}/41.05|1}}}}
| [[File:Whanganui River to Dublin Street Bridge.jpg|200px|Whanganui]]
|-
| 20
| [[Gisborne, New Zealand|Gisborne]]
| align=right | {{nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Gisborne|y}}|R}}}}
| align=right | {{nts|37.43}}
| align=right | {{Nts|{{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Gisborne|y}}|R}}/37.43|1}}}}
| [[File:Gisborne nz 1.jpg|200px|Gisborne]]
|}