Mt Victoria’s population decreases

Mt Victoria’s population decreases

According to the 2023 Census figures now released, Mt Victoria’s population has decreased by 153 people, or 3.4%.

In the 2023 count, 4,374 people were ‘usually resident’ in the suburb, compared to 4,527 in 2018.  The 2023 number is even less than the 2013 Census, which has the Mt Victoria population at 4,398.

According to the numbers, 390 residents are of Māori descent, making up 8.9 % of the suburb’s population, lower than the national average of 17.8%. In 2018 that figure was 384, or 8.5%.

Around a third of Mt Victoria’s population were not here a year ago, speaking to the high proportion of renters and students in the area.  1,311 lived elsewhere in New Zealand, and 207 were overseas.

There are more renters in the suburb, with 70% of residents (2913) over 15 years of age saying they don’t own a home, compared with 63.4% in 2018 (2649).

This is at odds with the trend nationwide: 66% of households in Aotearoa New Zealand own their home or hold it in a family trust, compared with 64.5% in 2018.

The 2023 Census saw an upsurge in those saying they worked from home in Mt Victoria:  522 people were recorded as working from home, compared to 267 five years before.  More people said they took the bus to work (489 v 444) than the previous Census, but fewer went by bike (138 v 195). The ‘other’ category increased from 69 to 99, perhaps indicating the popularity of scooters.