Band 9: The table below gives information about the population of New Zealand between 2011 and 2012. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The table shows changes in the population of New Zealand by age group between 2011 and 2012, including the percentage change for each category.

Overall, New Zealand’s total population increased slightly during this period. While the number of people aged 65 and over rose significantly, the younger age groups experienced small declines.

In terms of the total population, the number of residents increased from 4,381,269 in 2011 to 4,410,284 in 2012, representing a growth of 0.6%. A similar rise was seen among people aged 40-64, whose population grew modestly by 0.6%, reaching approximately 1.34 million in 2012.

By contrast, the population of younger age groups declined slightly. The number of children under 15 fell from 898,160 to 896,364, a decrease of 0.2%. Likewise, the population aged 15-39 also dropped by 0.2%, from about 1.58 million to 1.57 million.

The most notable change occurred in the oldest age group. The population aged 65 and over increased markedly by 4.0%, rising from 573,946 in 2011 to 596,903 in 2012, making it the fastest-growing group overall.