Riccarton Ward census and population data

• In 2023, the Census usually resident population count of Riccarton ward was 25,600. This was 6.5% of Christchurch City's population.
• Between 2018 and 2023, this ward's population increased by approximately 1,500 people, or 6.1%. Christchurch City's population increased by 6.1%.
• A more recent and comprehensive population count, which takes into account those not counted in the census, as well as any births, deaths or migrations, is available. In June 2024, this ward's estimated population was 27,300.

Population statistics - user guide(external link) provides an overview of the different population statistics produced by Statistics New Zealand(external link).

Life-cycle age groups

• The median age was 27 years for people in Riccarton ward in 2023. The median age in Christchurch City was 37.5 years.
• In this ward, 11% of people were aged under 15 years, 44% were aged 15 to 29 years, 34% were aged 30 to 64 years, and 12% were aged 65 years and over.
• This ward had a lower proportion of people aged 0 to 14 years, and 30 years and over, than for all of Christchurch City.
• This ward had a higher proportion of people aged 15 to 29 years, than for all of Christchurch City.

Ethnic groups

• The most common ethnic group in Riccarton ward was European, with 59% of the population identifying with this ethnic group in 2023. For Christchurch City as a whole, this was 76%.
• The next most common ethnic group in Riccarton ward was Asian (34%), Māori (8.6%), followed by Pacific Peoples (4.2%) and Middle Eastern/Latin American/African (MELAA) (3.1%).
  
  

Rainbow indicator

• In Riccarton ward, 8.2% of adults belonged to the LGBTIQ+ (rainbow) population, compared with 6% for all of Christchurch City.
  
  

Birthplace

• 42% of people in Riccarton ward were born overseas, compared with 28% for Christchurch City as a whole.
• For people born overseas who are now living in Riccarton ward, the most common birthplace region was Asia (61%). For Christchurch City, the most common birthplace region for those born overseas was also Asia (46%).
• Most overseas-born migrants living in Riccarton ward have been living in New Zealand for less than 10 years (59%).

Work and labour force status

• In 2023, 38% of those aged 15 years and over in Riccarton ward were employed full-time, compared with 50% city-wide.
• 18% were employed part-time, while 39% were not in the labour force (e.g. students who do not also work, retired people, stay-at-home parents, and those unable to work due to sickness/disability).
• In 2023, 4.3% of people were unemployed. This was a higher proportion than for all of Christchurch City (2.7%). 
  
  

Occupation

• The most common occupational group in this ward was 'Professionals' (24%). 'Professionals' was also the most common occupational group for all of Christchurch City (29%).
• The next most common occupational groupings in this ward were 'Community and Personal service' (13%), Labourers (13%) and 'Technicians and Trades Workers' (13%).
  
  

Study status

• 36% of people aged 15 years and over were engaged in full-time study, compared with 21% city-wide.
• 3.6% of people aged 15 years and over were engaged in part-time study. This was similar to the proportion for all of Christchurch City (3.6%). 
  
  

Highest qualification

• In 2023, 90% of people aged 15 years and over in Riccarton ward had a formal qualification, compared with 86% for Christchurch City as a whole.
• In Riccarton ward, 26% of people aged 15 years and over held a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 29% for Christchurch City as a whole.

Households

• In 2023, there were 7,850 households in Riccarton ward.
• Just over half of these households (54%) were one-family households. This is compared with 64% for all of Christchurch.
• One-person households made up 22% of all households, compared with 26% city-wide.
• Other multi-person households (e.g. flatting situations) made up 21% of this ward's households, compared with 7.4% city-wide.
  
  

Families

• In 2023, there were 8,150 families living in Riccarton ward.
• 43% of families were couples without children, compared with 43% city-wide.
• 39% of families were couples with child(ren), compared with 40% city-wide.
• 18% of families were one-parent with child(ren), compared with 16% city-wide. 
  
  

Household access to telecommunications

• 90% of households in this ward had access to the internet at home, compared with 91% of all Christchurch households.
• 90% of households had access to a cellphone/mobile phone, compared with 94% city-wide.

Personal income

• The median personal income for residents (aged 15 years and over) living in Riccarton ward was $24,700 in 2023. This is compared with a median of $40,400 for all of Christchurch City.
• 43% of people aged 15 years and over in this ward had an annual income of $20,000 or less, compared with 25% of people for Christchurch City as a whole.
• In Riccarton ward, 12% of people aged 15 years and over had an annual income of more than $70,000, compared with 24% of people in Christchurch City. 
  
  

Household income

• The median income for households in Riccarton ward was $78,300 in 2023. This is compared with a median of $90,600 for all of Christchurch City.
• 18% of households in this ward had an annual income of $30,000 or less, compared with 15% of households for Christchurch City as a whole. 
• 38% of households in this ward had an annual income of more than $100,000, compared with 45% of households in Christchurch City.
  
  

Family income

• The median personal income for families living in Riccarton ward was $88,700 in 2023. This is compared with a median of $107,000 for all of Christchurch City.
• 10% of families in this ward had an annual income of $30,000 or less, compared with 6% of families for Christchurch City as a whole.
• 42% of families had an annual income of more than $100,000, compared with 54% of families in Christchurch City.

Deprivation

• NZDep2023(external link) is a good indicator of small-area socioeconomic deprivation. The scale of deprivation ranges from 1 to 10:
• • 1 represents the areas with the least deprived scores.
  • 10 represents the areas with the most deprived scores.
  • Nationally, equal proportions of the population (about 10%) live in each decile.
• In Riccarton ward, 30 per cent of this ward's population lived in the 'most deprived' areas (i.e. deciles 9 and 10), compared with 16% of all of Christchurch City's population.
• 0% of this ward's population lived in the 'least deprived' areas (i.e. deciles 1 and 2), compared with 22% of all of Christchurch City's population.
• View interactive map down to street block level(external link) (Massey University)
  
  

The 2023 deprivation index(external link) was developed by researchers at the University of Otago and combines nine variables from the 2023 census, which reflect dimensions of socio-economic deprivation. NZDep2023 provides a deprivation score for each meshblock in New Zealand – a meshblock is generally the size of a street block in urban areas, containing approximately 30 to 60 dwellings. Deprivation scores apply to areas rather than individual people.

• In 2023, 7.2% of this ward's population aged 5 years and over were classed as disabled, according to census responses. This is compared with 7.5% for all of Christchurch.

A person is regarded as disabled if they have 'a lot of difficulty' or 'cannot do at all' one or more of the six activities in the activity limitations questions. These six questions are the Washington Group Short Set of questions on disability and are referred to as activity limitations in the 2023 census. The questions relate to difficulty seeing, hearing, walking or climbing steps, remembering or concentrating, washing all over or dressing, and communicating.

Number of motor vehicles

• In 2023, 11% of households in Riccarton ward did not have a motor vehicle, compared to 7.1% of all Christchurch households.
• 67% of households had either one or two motor vehicles, compared with 74% city-wide.
  
  

Travel to work

• In 2023, 66% of workers who lived in Riccarton ward (aged 15 years or over) usually travelled to work in a private or company car/truck/van, either as a driver or passenger. City-wide, this was 72%.
• 8.5% usually travelled by bus, 6.9% by bicycle, 7.7% by walking/jogging, while 8.8% usually worked at home.
  
  

Travel to education

• In 2023, 29% of students who lived in Riccarton ward usually travelled to their place of education in a car/truck/van, either as a driver or passenger. City-wide, this was 50%.
• 7.2% usually travelled by bus, 11% by bicycle, 47% by walking/jogging, while 4.4% usually studied at home.

Dwellings

• In 2023, there were 8,800 dwellings in Riccarton ward. Of these, 8,000 were occupied dwellings (90%), and around 8% were unoccupied private dwellings (i.e. the dwelling was either empty or the occupants were away).
• Almost 2% of all dwellings were under construction.
• Of the occupied private dwellings, 55% were separate houses and 45% were two or more flats/units/townhouses/apartments joined together. 
  
  

Home ownership and rentals

• 30% of households in Riccarton ward owned the dwelling that they lived in (includes family trusts). This was 65% for all of Christchurch.
• For the households renting their dwelling in this ward, the majority paid rent to a private landlord (84%).
• 12% of rented dwellings were owned by Housing New Zealand/Kāinga Ora, compared with 12% for all of Christchurch City.
• 1.9% of rented dwellings were Council-owned housing, compared with 2.3% of city-wide dwellings.
• Median rent was $435, compared with $415 for Christchurch City as a whole.

Further information about census variables used in these profiles, including definitions and data quality ratings(external link).