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A diverse economy spanning agriculture, advanced manufacturing, technology, renewable energy, aquaculture, tourism, healthcare and forestry.

The region’s strengths are further supported by a growing Māori economy and the longstanding cultural regional leadership of the Kīngitanga.

532,100

people in the Waikato

Purple icon of wave lines >16,000km

of rivers and streams

Purple icon of a line fish 10,000km2

of coastal marine area

Purple icon of a line fish 450

marine farms

Purple icon showing line of a lighthouse 1,200km

of coastline

Purple icon showing outline of land areas 25,000km2

of land

Purple icon of wave lines >100

lakes

Purple icon with outline of erupting volcano 70%

of NZ’s geothermal resources

Map of Waikato region showing main lines

Leader in electricity production

Thermal
1,379MW

Wind
64MW

37% of NZ’s electricity capacity

Geothermal
1,074MW

Hydro
1,531.5MW

More than any other single region

Flood infrastructure

Valued at $1.1 billion spread across the Waikato region protecting land that contributes $2.5 billion to regional GDP

Māori asset base

$21.51b in the Waikato
Up 88% from 2018 to 2023

12.7% of NZ’s total exports

NZ - $95 billion
Waikato - $12.1 billion

Waikato’s contribution to farming, food and forestry GDP

14% of NZ’s forest products industries

  • Forestry and logging
  • Wood product manufacturing
  • Pulp and paper

18% of NZ’s food manufacturing

  • Meat and meat product manufacturing
  • Seafood processing
  • Dairy product manufacturing

22% of NZ’s farming

  • Sheep, beef and grain
  • Dairy farming
  • Poultry, deer and other livestock

19% of NZ’s food industry

  • Farmers, growers and aquaculture plus food manufacturing

32% of NZ’s dairy manufacturing

Critical national transport, freight and logistics corridor

40% of NZ’s freight movements

Significant mineral producing area

Waikato contributes ~20% of NZ’s mining GD

Critical producer of aggregates

Supplying a large proportion of material that supports economic growth in both the Waikato and Auckland regions

NZ - 7.1 tonnes per person
Waikato - 15.2 tonnes per person

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Note

  • Gross domestic product (GDP) and population data are for 2025, sourced from Infometrics and Stats NZ.
  • Aggregate production is for 2023, sourced from the Aggregate & Quarry Association Fact Files.'
  • Māori asset base insights sourced from Business and Economic Research Limited (BERL).