Population and demographics

The population of the Kāpiti Coast District at the 2018 census was 53,673. This was an increase of 9.3% since 2013. Most people live between the State Highway and the beach in townships at Paraparaumu, Waikanae and Ōtaki.

You can find out more about people of the Kāpiti Coast from 2006, 2013 and 2018 Census of Population and Dwellings on the People and Places website. This can give you a wealth of information about the population - age, gender, ethnicity, income, households and families - for the District as well as your local area. You can also compare the information with the earlier 2006 and 2013 Census, as well as against the Wellington Region.

To find out more about expected population growth in the Kāpiti Coast District see the Population forecast. Please note that work is currently underway to revise population forecasts and demographics for the district.

Also available are annual economic profiles that provide information on the value, employment, industries and skills of the Kāpiti economy, and quarterly urban development capacity reports that monitor a number of indicators including population projections, land and building supply and housing affordability.

Population forecasts

The population growth forecasts for Kapiti have been updated to inform the 2021–41 Long-term Plan. The forecasts are based on projections provided by berl Economics. Read the full berl Kāpiti Coast District population and dwelling projections.

These population growth forecasts reflect actual and estimated increased connectivity to Wellington from the Expressway and Transmission Gully, the estimated short term impacts of COVID-19, actual historic population growth rates achieved by the district and future growth anticipated from the implementation of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) and the emerging Wellington Regional Growth Framework (WRGF). Read the draft WRGF Report.

The population of Kāpiti is estimated to grow by approximately 30,000 people to 85,658 by 2050, requiring up to an additional 12,000 dwellings, (assuming an average household size of 2.5 occupants). Year-on-year population growth (number, percentage and dwellings), by Statistical Area, are shown below.

Projected 2020–50 population by Statistical Area 2

Statistical Area 2	2020	2021	2024	2027	2030	2035	2040	2045	2050	Change 2021–50
Waikanae Park	2,154	2,255	2,610	3,245	3,858	4,868	5,873	6,578	6,874	4,720
Ōtaki	3,605	3,691	4,007	4,281	4,584	5,578	6,628	7,865	9,329	5,724
Waikanae West	4,523	4,541	4,746	4,973	5,195	5,841	6,768	7,601	8,247	3,724
Paraparaumu Central	4,133	4,170	4,386	4,627	4,837	5,336	6,003	6,866	7,967	3,834
Paraparaumu East	2,340	2,376	2,546	2,741	2,935	3,380	3,915	4,565	5,354	3,014
Raumati South	3,878	3,879	3,889	4,033	4,202	4,399	4,594	4,745	4,829	951
Waikanae East	2,473	2,492	2,639	2,863	3,069	3,421	3,735	4,187	4,782	2,309
Forest Lakes	686	691	742	835	979	1,160	1,309	1,467	1,568	882
Paraparaumu North	3,686	3,708	3,804	3,893	4,008	4,090	4,123	4,190	4,317	631
Peka Peka	635	657	751	854	960	1,092	1,200	1,316	1,452	817
Otaihanga	831	847	900	951	1,016	1,147	1,219	1,302	1,404	573
Raumati Beach East	2,458	2,463	2,489	2,512	2,560	2,644	2,731	2,812	2,892	434
Waitohu	1,045	1,076	1,182	1,239	1,304	1,360	1,423	1,471	1,542	497
Maungakotukutuku	1,384	1,413	1,506	1,606	1,641	1,652	1,664	1,690	1,740	356
Paraparaumu Beach East	2,762	2,762	2,805	2,848	2,900	2,893	2,887	2,907	2,968	206
Waikanae Beach	3,362	3,366	3,393	3,412	3,452	3,457	3,463	3,499	3,586	224
Raumati Beach West	2,961	2,966	2,998	3,021	3,060	3,071	3,083	3,121	3,204	243
Paraparaumu Beach West	2,443	2,446	2,461	2,471	2,497	2,496	2,496	2,517	2,575	132
Ōtaki Beach	1,877	1,900	1,939	1,963	1,998	2,021	2,045	2,085	2,156	279
Te Horo	1,471	1,479	1,508	1,541	1,565	1,577	1,590	1,616	1,666	195
Paraparaumu Beach North	4,192	4,192	4,210	4,231	4,252	4,273	4,273	4,273	4,273	81
Paekākāriki	1,802	1,808	1,823	1,835	1,859	1,866	1,873	1,897	1,947	145
Ōtaki Forks	803	809	828	845	868	891	913	942	986	183
Kāpiti Island	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Tararua Forest Park	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kāpiti Coast District	55,504	55,987	58,164	60,820	63,599	68,514	73,809	79,513	85,658	30,154

Source: Population and household forecasts 2020 to 2050 developed from berl’s high forecast and taking historical and future anticipated growth into account.

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Projected 2020–50 growth in dwellings by Statistical Area 2

Statistical Area 2	2021–23	2024–26	2027–30	2031–35	2036–40	2041–45	2046–50	Change 2021–50
Waikanae Park	133	224	324	404	402	282	118	1,888
Ōtaki	110	125	157	398	420	495	586	2,290
Waikanae West	48	103	118	258	371	333	258	1,489
Paraparaumu Central	50	118	114	200	267	345	440	1,534
Paraparaumu East	48	86	105	178	214	260	316	1,206
Raumati South	6	38	88	79	78	60	34	382
Waikanae East	35	93	111	141	126	181	238	923
Forest Lakes	15	24	78	72	60	63	40	353
Paraparaumu North	37	34	58	33	13	27	51	252
Peka Peka	33	41	56	53	43	46	54	327
Otaihanga	21	20	33	52	29	33	41	229
Raumati Beach East	10	8	23	34	35	32	32	174
Waitohu	40	29	34	22	25	19	28	199
Maungakotukutuku	39	36	28	4	5	10	20	142
Paraparaumu Beach East	13	15	27	0	0	9	24	88
Waikanae Beach	11	6	19	3	2	14	35	91
Raumati Beach West	12	9	19	4	5	15	33	97
Paraparaumu Beach West	7	2	12	1	1	8	23	55
Ōtaki Beach	23	8	18	9	10	16	28	112
Te Horo	12	11	15	5	5	10	20	78
Paraparaumu Beach North	4	8	11	8	0	0	0	32
Paekākāriki	8	4	12	3	3	10	20	58
Ōtaki Forks	8	6	12	9	9	12	18	73
Kāpiti Island	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Tararua Forest Park	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kāpiti Coast District	722	1,047	1,471	1,971	2,121	2,282	2,458	12,072

Source: Population and household forecasts 2020 to 2050 developed from berl’s high forecast and taking historical and future anticipated growth into account.

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Table of annual average increase in population growth

2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2030	2035	2040	2045	2050
0.9%	1.0%	1.3%	1.5%	1.5%	1.5%	1.5%	1.5%	1.5%	1.5%

Note the annual population growth from year 4 is estimated to be 1.5 percent per annum using the average of actual historic growth rates. A new forecast provider has recently been engaged to develop forecasts and supporting information on the changes in population, age structure and household types for all councils across the Wellington Region. This information will be updated onto the website once available.

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