# Manukau

Manukau (/ˈmɑːnʊˌkaʊ/), or Manukau Central, is a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand, centred on the Manukau City Centre business district. It is located 23 kilometres south of the Auckland Central Business District, west of the Southern Motorway, south of Papatoetoe, and north of Manurewa. The industrial and commercial suburb of Wiri lies to the east and south.
The suburb is named after the previous Manukau City district, named in 1965 by a poll of residents.
The headquarters of Manukau City Council were in Manukau Central until the council was merged into Auckland Council in November 2010. Manukau Central should not be confused with the much larger Manukau City, which was the entire area administered by the city council.

## Demographics

Manukau covers 12.02 km$^2$ (4.64 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 4,120 as of June 2024, with a population density of 343 people per km$^2$.
Manukau had a population of 3,687 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 237 people (6.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 555 people (17.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,890 males, 1,791 females and 9 people of other genders in 1,248 dwellings. 2.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 34.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 642 people (17.4%) aged under 15 years, 825 (22.4%) aged 15 to 29, 1,815 (49.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 402 (10.9%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 17.8% European (Pākehā); 12.9% Māori; 26.6% Pasifika; 51.9% Asian; 2.0% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 87.0%, Māori language by 2.5%, Samoan by 9.1%, and other languages by 40.9%. No language could be spoken by 2.8% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 54.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 35.0% Christian, 16.7% Hindu, 6.8% Islam, 1.0% Māori religious beliefs, 2.1% Buddhist, 0.1% New Age, and 12.8% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 19.7%, and 5.9% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 621 (20.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,287 (42.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,146 (37.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $41,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 162 people (5.3%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,650 (54.2%) people were employed full-time, 267 (8.8%) were part-time, and 132 (4.3%) were unemployed.
Individual statistical areas :
| Name | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Density (per km$^2$) | Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
| Manukau Central | 11.41 | 963 | 84 | 483 | 34.6 years | $45,200 |
| Puhinui East | 0.60 | 2,727 | 4,545 | 762 | 34.6 years | $39,200 |
| New Zealand | | | | | 38.1 years | $41,500 |
The Manukau Central area is mostly commercial or rural. The Puhinui East area is mostly residential.

## History

The Manukau Central area was part of the largely rural area of Wiri in the early 20th century. Its transition from farmland was driven by Manukau City Council, which formed in 1965 and purchased land there in 1966 for the development of an administrative and commercial centre. The Manukau City Centre mall, now Westfield Manukau City, opened in October 1976, and the Manukau City Council administration building in 1977. Several government departments established offices in the late 1970s.
In 1983 Manukau City Council decided to rename the area Manukau Central, with the name Wiri continuing for the industrial area to the west. The name Manukau City Centre has been used for the central business district around the mall and city council building.
The Rainbow's End theme park opened just south of the city centre in 1982. Due Drop Events Centre (formerly Vodafone Events Centre), a multi-purpose event centre, is also opened in 2005 located at Manukau. Another shopping centre, Manukau Supa Centa, opened to the west of the city centre in 1998. Manukau Institute of Technology, which has its main campus at Ōtara, built 2 campuses at Manukau Central, (Manukau) in 2014 which has the Manukau train station below and (Tech Park) in 2020.

## Local government

The suburb, since November 2010, is in the Manukau ward, one of the thirteen electoral divisions of Auckland Council.

## Economy
### Retail

Westfield Manukau City was established in 1976. It has a lettable area of 45,236 m$^2$, and has 2,113 carparks and 187 shops, including Farmers, Countdown, JB Hi-Fi and Event Cinemas.
Manukau Supa Centa covers 37,010 m$^2$. It has 40 stores including Kmart.

## Education

Puhinui School is a state contributing primary school (years 1–6). It has a roll of 818.
South Auckland Seventh-day Adventist School is a state-integrated full primary school (years 1–8). It has a roll of 378.
Both schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of November 2024.
Manukau also has the South Campus of Auckland University of Technology and the Manukau and Tech Park Campuses of Manukau Institute of Technology.
Redoubt North School is a full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of 562.

## Transport

Manukau is well-connected for transport. The Southwestern Motorway (State Highway 20) joins the Southern Motorway (State Highway 1) at Manukau Central. Eastern Line train services carry passengers between Manukau Railway Station and central Auckland's Britomart Transport Centre. Adjacent to the train station is the Manukau bus station (opened April 2018), connecting southern and eastern suburbs and a stop for inter-city services.