The North Island population overtook the South in the early 20th century, with 56 percent of the population living in the North in 1911, and the drift north of people and businesses continued throughout the century.
A poboación da Illa Norte superou á do Sur no século 20, co 56% da poboación vivindo no Norte en 1911, e a deriva das persoas e empresas ó norte continuou ao longo do século.