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World Postal Codes > Worldwide Administrative Divisions > Oceania-Pacific Administrative Divisions > New Zealand Administrative Divisions

New Zealand Administrative Divisions

What is the hierarchy of administrative divisions in New Zealand?

New Zealand operates on a 2‑level system starting with 17 unitary authorities, followed by city council as the smallest administrative units.

Here’s a breakdown of the hierarchy:

1. Unitary Authorities: New Zealand is divided into 17 unitary authorities.

2. City Council: These are the smallest administrative units, often found within unitary authorities.

List of New Zealand's administrative divisions with their counts and names

These are the summarized administrative divisions. The full dataset is available in the Download Center.

isocountryadmin level 1admin level 2admin level 3admin level 4
NZNew ZealandAuckland (Unitary Authority)1 City CouncilThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandBay of Plenty (Region)1 City Council, 5 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandCanterbury (Region)1 City Council, 8 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandChatham Islands (External territory)This level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandGisborne (Unitary Authority)1 District councilThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandGreater Wellington (Region)4 City Councils, 4 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandHawke's Bay (Region)1 City Council, 3 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandManawatu Whanganui (Region)1 City Council, 6 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandMarlborough (Unitary Authority)1 District councilThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandNelson (Unitary Authority)1 City CouncilThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandNorthland (Region)3 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandOtago (Region)1 City Council, 4 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandSouthland (Region)1 City Council, 2 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandTaranaki (Region)3 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandTasman (Unitary Authority)1 District councilThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandWaikato (Region)1 City Council, 9 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
NZNew ZealandWest Coast (Region)3 District councilsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.

Why is building an Administrative Divisions Database complex?

The complexity arises from inconsistent global standards, frequent boundary changes, non-uniform naming conventions (e.g., “suburb” in Australia vs. “county” in the US), and variations in administrative levels across countries. Integrating and harmonizing data from multiple sources requires advanced normalization, versioning, and geospatial validation techniques.

How does GeoPostcodes solve the problem for you?

Our standardized database overcomes the complexity of different administrative division
systems worldwide. Our database follows a unified structure that you can integrate
seamlessly into your system or platform of choice without needing to become an expert in
each country’s unique administrative hierarchy.

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Updated: July 1, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand is divided into 5 unitary authorities, 11 regions, and 4 external territories, which form the top-level administrative units. These are further divided into 13 city councils and 53 district councils. Major unitary authorities include Auckland, Bay of Plenty, and Canterbury.

New Zealand has 2 administrative levels. Level 1: 5 unitary authorities, 11 regions, and 4 external territories. Level 2: 13 city councils and 53 district councils.

New Zealand operates on a 2‑level system starting with 17 unitary authorities, followed by city council as the smallest administrative units. Note that Chatham Islands do not have sub-divisions at the next level.

In New Zealand, unitary authorities and regions both sit at administrative level 1 but serve different functions. Unitary authorities — there are 5 — are typically a larger city or urban area that govern itself independently. Regions — there are 11 — group multiple smaller municipalities under a shared administration.

Administrative boundaries in New Zealand change as governments reorganize regions, merge municipalities, or create new administrative units to reflect population shifts and political decisions. Changes most commonly affect the city councils level, where New Zealand currently has 66 units. Businesses that rely on New Zealand administrative data should use a regularly updated reference dataset to avoid mismatches in geocoding, tax jurisdiction mapping, and compliance reporting.