Two-thirds of Kiwis now own their own home

Newly released data from the 2023 Census has revealed that home ownership rates have increased and housing quality has improved since the last Census, in 2018.

The Census found that 66.0% of New Zealanders owned their home in 2023 – higher than the 64.5% share in 2018 but lower than the record 73.8% share in 1991.

“This increase in home ownership, although small, is a reversal of the falling rates we have seen since home ownership peaked in the early 1990s,” Stats NZ Principal Analyst Rosemary Goodyear said.

In 2023, Auckland had the lowest rate of home ownership of all the regions and also suffered a decline of 0.1% compared to 2018. By contrast, ownership rates increased in all other regions.

“Home ownership rates are influenced by a range of factors, particularly affordability, and we know that house prices tend to be highest in city centres, especially in Auckland and Wellington, whereas homes further out may be more affordable,” Ms Goodyear said.

“We also know that rates of home ownership are higher among older people, so we see a pattern where areas with older populations have higher home ownership rates.”

Homes getting healthier

Meanwhile, the Census found that the share of owner-occupied homes that experienced dampness at least some of the time fell from 21.5% in 2018 to 18.1% in 2023.

Also, the share of homes that had mould over A4 size always or sometimes fell from 16.9% to 14.0%.

All regions except Gisborne experienced a decrease in dampness and mould between the two Census periods.

“Census data shows an improvement in housing quality since 2018, which is important as damp and mould can impact people’s health and wellbeing,” Ms Goodyear said.