New Zealand has added the equivalent of the population of the Waikato region since 2013 as the country's population inches towards five million.

Statistics NZ estimates NZ's resident population reached 4,885,300 at June 30 this year. NZ’s population grew 1.9% in the June 2018 year, down from 2.1% in 2017. These growth rates are high by historical NZ standards and top the latest growth rates of 1.6% for Australia, where the population recently hit 25 million well ahead of earlier expectations, and 1.2% for the global population.

“Net migration has been the main driver of population growth in recent years, reaching a peak of 72,400 migrants in the July 2017 year,” Statistics NZ's population insights senior manager Brooke Theyers says. “However, natural increase continues to contribute around 30,000 people a year.”

"The latest population figure is up 443,200 from 30 June 2013, which is equivalent to adding the population of the Waikato region since 2013."

(Interest.co.nz estimates the NZ population will reach 4.9 million on August 29. Here's Statistics NZ's population clock).

More young men than young women & more middle aged women than middle aged men

Statistics NZ says NZ's population is growing in most age groups, with the latest estimates showing more women than men aged over 30. In contrast men outnumber women at all ages under 30. The balance of males to females ranges from 14,600 more males than females in the 20 to 24 age group, to 14,000 more females than males between 45 and 49.

“The age-sex distribution is a result of a combination of drivers,” says Theyers. “These include international migration trends, sex ratios at birth, women generally living longer than men, and New Zealand’s ageing population.”

According to Statistics NZ, typically 105 males are born for every 100 females in NZ, and recent trends show more young males on work or student visas have migrated to NZ than any other demographic group.

"The middle-age and older age groups have more females, as females generally live longer than males. The growing size of New Zealand’s older age groups is contributing to this ratio. People aged 65 years and older now make up 15% of the population compared with 12 percent 20 years ago," says Statistics NZ.

Meanwhile, the median age - meaning half are younger, and half older, than this age - of males and females in 2018 was 35.6 years and 38.2 years, respectively.

The charts below come from Statistics NZ.