Booming Tauranga is set to overtake a static Dunedin as the country's fifth-biggest city.
Once the country's largest city, Dunedin (population 124,600) ranks well behind Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton.
Now its fifth position is under threat, figures released yesterday show.
Although the southern city's population increased by only 2300 between 2006 and 2014, the population of fast-growing Tauranga rose by 14,700.
The Bay of Plenty city's population went from 107,000 in 2006 to 121,700 this year and, based on previous growth, Tauranga is set to overtake Dunedin in 2016.
Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby welcomed the news but said his city's stellar growth came with the challenge of providing infrastructure, such as water, sewerage and roads.
''That's why we have reasonably high debt, because we have to build it first and then they do come,'' he said yesterday. Statistics New Zealand released provisional population updates, with most regions recording population growth in 2014 due largely to an increase in migrants.
Selwyn remained the fastest-growing territorial authority area, increasing 2700 (5.8%) in the June 2014 year, followed by Waimakariri (4.1%), Queenstown-Lakes (4%), Carterton (2.3%) and Auckland (2.3%).
In the South, Waitaki's population increased 300 to 21,700, Central Otago's to 18,850 (up 350) and Clutha's to 17,350 (up 100) for the year ended June 20, 2014.
Otago's population increased 2900 over the same period, ranking the province fifth for population growth behind Auckland, Canterbury, Waikato and Wellington.
New Zealand's population also increased from 4,442,100 to 4,509,900.
