Urban areas of New Zealand
Statistics New Zealand defines urban areas of New Zealand for statistical purposes (they have no administrative or legal basis). The urban areas comprise cities, towns and other conurbations (an aggregation of urban settlements) of a thousand people or more. In combination, the urban areas of the country constitute New Zealand's urban population. As of , the urban population made up % of New Zealand's total population. The current standard for urban areas is the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18), which replaced the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992 (NZSAC92) in 2018. There are  four classes of urban area under SSGA18: Each urban area consists of one or more level-2 statistical areas (SA2s). Urban areas under SSGA18 do not cross territorial authority boundaries, with one exception (Richmond, which lies in the Tasman District but includes the Daelyn SA2 area from neighbouring Nelson City). Statistics New Zealand also defines rural settlements with a population of 200 to 999 people or at least 40 dwellings. While these do not fit the standard international definition of an urban population, they serve to distinguish between true rural dwellers and those in rural settlements or towns. Statistical Standard for  Geographic Areas 2018. The following shows the urban areas as classified under SSGA18. New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992. Under the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992 (NZSAC92), there are three classes of urban area: Main urban areas. The population figures shown are Statistics New Zealand's resident population estimates at For rankings in various criteria see the ranked list of New Zealand urban areas. Four main urban areas are subdivided into urban zones. The following cities are listed by location from north to south. Secondary urban areas. The population figures shown are Statistics New Zealand's resident population estimates  at the The following towns are listed by location from north to south. Original classification No change