WELLINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The population of New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, is projected to reach 2 million by 2033, with international migration now the main driver of growth, Stats NZ reported Wednesday.

The city's population doubled since the early 1980s to 1.82 million in June 2025, the statistics department data showed.

The 2023 census showed that 43 percent of Auckland's residents were born overseas, nearly double the national proportion of 22 percent. Almost half of them were born in Asia, while another 8 percent came from Pacific Island nations.

Between 2000 and 2025, Auckland's population grew by an average of 1.7 percent a year, compared with 1.1 percent a year for the rest of New Zealand, Stats NZ said.

"Future population growth in Auckland is unlikely to be as fast because of population ageing, though Auckland is still projected to account for 40 to 50 percent of New Zealand's total population growth over the next few decades," population estimates and projections spokesperson Clare Hendra was quoted as saying.

By 2053, Auckland's population is projected to reach between 2.2 million and 2.7 million, statistics showed. ■