Our growing district

Selwyn just keeps growing! We know Selwyn is a great place to live and work, to do business and to raise a family. And it seems more and more people are getting the message and coming to join us.

Over the past 10 years Selwyn has been the second-fastest growing district in New Zealand, growing from 42,900 in 2011 to around 71,500. While this increase came initially from the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010–2011, in recent years we’ve continued to see steady internal migration, mostly from the greater Christchurch area.

The district is also becoming more urban, with nearly 90% of growth occurring in townships. Overall the proportion of the population in urban areas has increased from 43% to around 60% in the past 10 years.

New arrivals to Selwyn are, on average, younger than the current population and are looking for modern, affordable housing, with good amenities and services nearby. High levels of new house construction, along with increasing business and commercial activity, have fuelled demand for new infrastructure, and both the Government and the Council are responding by investing in services and facilities such as schools, parks, recreation facilities, water and wastewater systems, and community and health facilities.

Selwyn’s economy is also expanding. Although growth had initially slowed due to COVID-19 lockdowns, gross domestic product in the last quarter of 2020 exceeded growth in previous years. Employment has been growing faster than the national average, and together with GDP growth has led to higher productivity and household incomes. Unemployment remains low and new businesses continue to locate in our district.

Throughout 2020 the Council continued to process high numbers of resource and building consents – despite the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic – and Selwyn’s population is forecast to reach 89,600 by 2031, with more than 7,000 new households