About Counties Manukau District Health Board

Population size

• Counties Manukau DHB includes the territorial authorities (TAs) of Franklin, Papakura and Manukau.

• The estimated Counties Manukau population for 2007 was 464,700, 11% of the total New Zealand population.
   
• The estimated population for 2008 is 473,300.

Population Demography and Needs

The Counties Manukau Population Health Indicators (2005), and the Changing Demography of Counties Manukau DHB (2008) and the Counties Manukau Health Profile (2001) documents provide information on the health needs and priorities of Counties Manukau’s people.  Information is also available in various "Planning Documents" (see District Annual Plan, pages 104-106).

Information specifically to each locality across the Counties Manukau District is available under the "Our Localities" section.

Population Composition

• Counties Manukau has high numbers of Maaori, Pacific peoples and a relatively youthful population.
   

• Twenty-five percent of the population is aged 14 or under; 13% of New Zealand children live in Counties Manukau.
   

• Fertility rates in New Zealand have been reducing in recent years. In Counties Manukau the birth rate has been increasing, possibly due to inward migration of young people intending families seeking affordable housing. This has placed pressure on maternity and neonatal facilities.
   

• Life expectancy at birth in Counties Manukau in 2005 was similar to that the New Zealand average, 83 for females and 78 for males.

Ethnic breakdown of the Counties Manukau population by number,
percentage (and as a percentage of the NZ population), fertility rate, and life expectancy.

* Prioritised population = each person is allocated to one ethnic group only, in order: Maaori, Pacific, Asian, Other.   ** TFR = Total Fertility Rate - the number of children an average female would have over their lifetime based on age-specific fertility rates.

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     Maaori in Counties Manukau

• Counties Manukau has a high proportion of Maaori (17%); 12% of all New Zealand’s Maaori live in Counties Manukau.
   

• Maaori are more likely to live in the relatively poorer areas of Counties Manukau such as Manukau/Manurewa (27% of the Manurewa population), Otara (18%, Takanini/Papakura (27%) and Mangere/Papatoetoe (17%).
   

• Maaori women had the highest fertility rates for women aged 20-24 years and for teenagers aged 15-19 years in Counties Manukau between 1999 and 2003. These rates were higher than for all NZ Maaori.
   

• Maaori life expectancy at birth in Counties Manukau is 69 years for males and 74 years for females, lagging 8-9 years behind Asians and Others (78 males, 82 females).

     Pacific peoples in Counties Manukau

• Counties Manukau has a high proportion of Pacific peoples (21%); 38% of all New Zealand’s Pacific peoples live in Counties Manukau.
   

• Pacific peoples are more likely to live in the relatively poorer areas of Counties Manukau. Fifty-six percent of Pacific live in Mangere and Manurewa (37% of the population of those suburbs), 24% in Otara (56%) and 12% in Papatoetoe.
   

• Pacific women in Counties Manukau had the highest fertility rates for all women aged 25 years and above between 1999 and 2003. The Pacific fertility rate in Counties Manukau was higher than for all NZ Pacific.
   

• Life expectancy at birth is 71 years for males and 77 years for females, 6 years lower than for Asian and Other (78 and 83 respectively).

      Asian people in Counties Manukau

• Counties Manukau has a high proportion of Asians (16%); 18% of all New Zealand’s Asian people live in Counties Manukau. 'Asian' here refers to people of ethnic Pakistani and Indian origin, through to Southeast Asia and East Asia, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan.
   

• Asian women had the lowest fertility rates for teenage women aged 15-19 years in Counties Manukau between 1999 and 2003. The Asian fertility rate in Counties Manukau was higher than for all NZ Asians.
   

• Life expectancy at birth is similar to European and Others at 78 years for males and 82 years for females.
   

• Along with Europeans, Asian people are more likely to live in less deprived areas (as measured by NZDep06) than the Counties Manukau average – 21% live in areas with a NZDep06 decile of 9 or 10 (relatively high deprivation) compared with 34% for Counties Manukau overall.

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Population Growth

The Counties Manukau population is growing at 2-3% per year, an additional 8-12,000 or so residents each year. This rapid growth mirrors growth in the metro-Auckland region, and places a significant load on health service provision.

The population aged over-65 is projected to more than double from 33,800 in 2001 (39,800 currently in 2006) to 74,800 by 2021. It is this group who will place the highest demands on health services.

Total Maaori and Pacific populations are growing and ageing. In addition, diabetes, obesity, smoking and other health issues will increase demands on health services. Counties Manukau has a higher 45-64 year old mortality rate than all New Zealand.

Counties Manukau DHB projected population growth by age group,
Statistics NZ (SNZ) medium assumptions.
 

CMDHB projected population growth by ethnicity

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     Socio-economic Status

• Nearly 34% of the Counties Manukau population (i.e. 149,100 people) are living in areas that are very deprived, (based on the NZ Deprivation Index 2006(NZDep06) with deciles 9 and 10 being the 20% relatively most deprived areas in New Zealand).
   

• Maaori and Pacific residents of Counties Manukau are concentrated in decile 9 and 10 areas – 57% of all Counties Manukau Maaori and 73% of Counties Manukau Pacific people.
   

• 43% of the 0-14 year olds in Counties Manukau live in decile 9 and 10 areas.
   

• The high proportion of the Counties Manukau population living in deprivation has a significant impact on health and health service provision.  For example, Counties Manukau has a high rate of illness related to overcrowded housing and this has resulted in the highest number of hospitalisations for these illnesses in New Zealand. Maaori and Pacific residents of Counties Manukau DHB have relatively higher rates of hospitalisation that the NZ average while Asian and Europeans have a lower rate than the NZ average.