List of cities and towns in the South Island by population
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This is a list of cities and towns in the South Island of New Zealand by the population of their urban area.
The populations given in the table below are provisional New Zealand usually resident populations, June 2025 estimates, and refer to the urban area defined under the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA) unless otherwise stated.
Cities
| Urban area | Population | Region | Territorial authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christchurch | 407,800 | Canterbury | Christchurch City Council |
| Dunedin | 104,000 | Otago | Dunedin City Council |
| Invercargill | 51,200 | Southland | Invercargill City Council |
| Nelson | 50,800 | Nelson | Nelson City Council |
Towns
Population 10,000 and over
| Urban area | Population | Region | Territorial authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashburton | 21,600 | Canterbury | Ashburton District |
| Blenheim | 29,800 | Marlborough | Marlborough District |
| Kaiapoi | 13,700 | Canterbury | Waimakariri District |
| Lincoln | 12,100 | Canterbury | Selwyn District |
| Mosgiel | 15,100 | Otago | Dunedin City |
| Oamaru | 14,300 | Otago | Waitaki District |
| Queenstown | 29,000 | Otago | Queenstown Lakes District |
| Rangiora | 19,300 | Canterbury | Waimakariri District |
| Richmond | 19,950 | Tasman | Tasman District |
| Rolleston | 34,100 | Canterbury | Selwyn District |
| Timaru† | 29,300 | Canterbury | Timaru District |
| Wānaka | 13,200 | Otago | Queenstown Lakes District |
† Timaru was officially a city until local government reorganisation in 1989, and is still frequently referred to as such.
Population 1,000 to 9,999
Major suburbs
The following suburbs have a population of over 2,000.
Christchurch
Dunedin
‡ Mosgiel, Port Chalmers, and Green Island were officially separate towns until local government reorganisation in 1989, and are separated from Dunedin's main urban area. They are still frequently referred to as towns.
Invercargill
| Suburb | Population | Region | Territorial authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosedale | 3,855 | Southland | Invercargill City Council |
| Gladstone-Avenal | 3,768 | Southland | Invercargill City Council |
| Grasmere | 3,342 | Southland | Invercargill City Council |
| Heidelberg | 3,078 | Southland | Invercargill City Council |
| Newfield | 2,910 | Southland | Invercargill City Council |
| Georgetown | 2,229 | Southland | Invercargill City Council |
| Waikiwi | 2,193 | Southland | Invercargill City Council |
Nelson
Others
| Suburb | Population | Town | Territorial authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allenton | 5,172 | Ashburton | Ashburton District Council |
| Redwoodtown | 4,881 | Blenheim | Marlborough District Council |
| Whitney | 4,005 | Blenheim | Marlborough District Council |
| Witherlea | 3,993 | Blenheim | Marlborough District Council |
| Marchwiel | 3,741 | Timaru | Timaru District Council |
| Highfield | 3,408 | Timaru | Timaru District Council |
| Springlands | 3,081 | Blenheim | Marlborough District Council |
| West End | 2,790 | Timaru | Timaru District Council |
| Tinwald | 2,703 | Ashburton | Ashburton District Council |
| Mayfield | 2,694 | Blenheim | Marlborough District Council |
| Seaview | 2,505 | Timaru | Timaru District Council |
| Parkside | 2,412 | Timaru | Timaru District Council |
| Hampstead | 2,325 | Ashburton | Ashburton District Council |
| Watlington | 2,256 | Timaru | Timaru District Council |
| Gleniti | 2,022 | Timaru | Timaru District Council |
Map
City 
Town