To get the data needed for the up-coming boundary review, the Government Statistician worked out how many Māori and general electorates there should be for the 2026 General Election. They also worked out the population quotas – how many people should be in each electorate.
For the 2026 election, the number of:
- general electorates in the South Island is fixed at 16
- general electorates in the North Island reduces from 49 to 48
- Māori electorates remains unchanged at seven.
The population quotas in those electorates are:
- 70,037 people for South Island general electorates
- 69,875 people for North Island general electorates
- 74,367 people for the Māori electorates.
Find out more about the Government Statistician’s report on the Stats NZ website
The calculation was made in 2024 using information from the 2023 Census and from the electoral rolls as at 1 April 2024. These dates, and the formula used for the calculation of electorates, are set out in the Electoral Act 1993.
The next time the number of seats will be calculated is after the next Census, which is scheduled for 2028.
The Representation Commission is using the Government Statistician’s report to conduct a boundary review, which will set electorate boundaries for the 2026 General Election.
Boundary Review 2025 (vote.nz)