The Whakatāne District has over 50 km of coastline, with many stunning beaches including Ōhope - recognised as New Zealand’s Most Loved Beach (NZ Herald 2023).

The district’s main town, Whakatāne, was again named New Zealand’s Most Beautiful Large town (Keep NZ Beautiful 2023), and it’s easy to see why. Inland, there are large areas of ancient native forest. The wilderness treasure of Te Urewera makes up some 40 percent of the district’s 4,400 square kilometres.

The district is widely known as one of New Zealand’s food baskets. The fertile Rangitāiki Plains are home to intensive dairy farming and horticulture (kiwifruit, olives, citrus, avocados and a wide range of berry fruit all thrive here). Around the district, sustainable forestry is a major industry.

While most of the Whakatāne district’s 37,150 people live near the coast, there are several inland towns serving the farming, forestry and horticulture industries

The district at a glance
He tirohanga ki te rohe

Stats and figures are from the 2023 Census.

Population Statistics

• 2023 Census: 37,150
• Estimated by 2033: 42,500
• Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.80%, 15-64 years: 60.60%, 65+ years: 18.60%

Cultural Diversity

Eight Iwi in the district: Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Manawa, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Whare, Ngāti Mākino, Ngāti Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, Te Whakatōhea

People in the district identify themselves as: 62.3% European, 50.7% Māori, 3.9% Pacific, 4.3% Asian

Whakatāne District

• District area: 433,000 hectares
• Kiwi Capital of the world
• Ōhope Beach twice voted and New Zealand's favourite beach
• Keep New Zealand Beautiful Supreme and Best Large Town 2023
• The governing body of Whakatāne District is made up of a Mayor and 10 councillors. View Mayor and Councillors Profiles
• and four Community Boards: Whakatāne-Ōhope, Tāneatua, Rangitāiki and Murupara.​​​​​

Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa Whakatāne District Information

Visit the Stats NZ website for the latest information on our district. Topics include population, ethnicity, religion, health, employment, income, education, and housing. Visit stats.govt.nz

2013 QuickStats about Whakatāne District - (PDF, 336 KB)

This publication, produced by Statistics New Zealand, provides information about the Whakatāne District and compares it with New Zealand as a whole. It covers statistics on population, dwellings, ethnicity, education and much more.

2006 Census Profile for the Whakatāne District - (PDF, 1.7 MB)

This profile, produced by the Council from census data, provides statistics about the Whakatāne District. Information is provided for the District as a whole or broken down by Ward (such as Edgecumbe/Tarawera) or by Census Area Unit (such as Matatā).

2008 Whakatāne Community Outcomes Report - (PDF, 9.6 MB)

This report uses a series of indicators to monitor progress towards the community outcomes of the Whakatāne District. It provides data on a wide range of topics covering aspects of environmental, social, cultural and economic wellbeing.

2009 Bay of Plenty Socio Economic Profile - (PDF, 2.3 MB)

This report, produced by Environment Bay of Plenty, provides socio economic profiles of the Bay of Plenty region and of individual districts within the region, including Whakatāne. The report includes deprivation maps of the region, districts within the region, and urban areas.

Whakatāne Visitor Information Website

whakatane.com provides excellent information for visitors and residents alike. On this site you will find information about local sites, accommodation, activities, upcoming events, maps and much more.