Population during each mayor's tenure
8 mayors, ranked by how population changed from their first day in office, next to New Zealand over the same months. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | Mayor | City | In office | Total | vs NZ | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N Stuart Crosby | Tauranga | 9 Oct 2004 – 8 Oct 2016 | +28.5% 2004 → 2016 | +13.2 pts NZ +15.3% | +2.1%/yr | |
| 2 | N Sheryl Mai | Whangārei | 12 Oct 2013 – 8 Oct 2022 | +17.6% 2013 → 2022 | +3.2 pts NZ +14.4% | +1.8%/yr | |
| 3 | N Noel Pope | Tauranga | 14 Oct 1995 – 13 Oct 2001 from 1996 | +17.1% 1996 → 2001 | +13.1 pts NZ +4.0% | +3.2%/yr | |
| 4 | N Kerry Prendergast | Wellington | 27 Oct 2001 – 27 Oct 2010 | +13.2% 2001 → 2010 | +1.1 pts NZ +12.1% | +1.4%/yr | |
| 5 | N Julie Hardaker | Hamilton | 1 Nov 2010 – 8 Oct 2016 | +12.2% 2010 → 2016 | +3.9 pts NZ +8.4% | +1.9%/yr | |
| 6 | N Paula Southgate | Hamilton | 24 Oct 2019 – 19 Oct 2025 | +11.7% 2019 → 2025 | +4.6 pts NZ +7.1% | +1.9%/yr | |
| 7 | N Lianne Dalziel | Christchurch | 24 Oct 2013 – 8 Oct 2022 | +11.4% 2013 → 2022 | −3.0 pts NZ +14.4% | +1.2%/yr | |
| 8 | N Greg Brownless | Tauranga | 8 Oct 2016 – 12 Oct 2019 | +11.3% 2016 → 2019 | +5.9 pts NZ +5.4% | +3.6%/yr | |
| 9 | N Len Brown | Auckland | 1 Nov 2010 – 15 Oct 2016 | +10.4% 2010 → 2016 | +2.1 pts NZ +8.4% | +1.7%/yr | |
| 10 |  Garry Moore | Christchurch | 10 Oct 1998 – 13 Oct 2007 | +10.4% 1998 → 2007 | −0.4 pts NZ +10.7% | +1.1%/yr |
Showing 10 of 43 tenures.
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last count complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that count had no data, or because the period cut it); New Zealand is measured over the same months. Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in %; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. thousands, 30 June · Stats NZ subnational population estimates (POPES_SUB_006, Aotearoa Data Explorer), estimated resident population of the council's area at 30 June, on 2025 boundaries, dated at mid-year · city (council area) data · as of Jul 2025.