Page 15 - Statement of Intent 2015/16

A detailed breakdown of our population is presented in the following table.
Waikato DHB projected population by age and ethnicity for 2015/16
Age Group
Ethnicity
Māori
Pacific
Other
Total
00 – 24
46,155
5,385
86,690
138,230
25 – 44
21,165
3,190
71,325
95,680
45 – 64
15,950
2,010
79,650
97,610
65 – 74
3,465
420
30,925
34,810
75+
1,560
240
23,640
25,440
Total
88,295
11,245
292,230
391,770
Our large rural population presents diverse challenges in service delivery and accessing health services. Significant points of interest in terms our population include:
 the population is expected to increase in Waikato but at a slower rate than the rest of New Zealand
 we are more rural than New Zealand as a whole
 we have a population that is getting proportionately older (the 65 plus age group is
projected to increase by 52 per cent between 2011/12 and 2025/2026)
 the population of children and young people is predicated to decline by 2026
 we have a Māori population which is growing at a slightly faster rate than other
population groups and is estimated to be 23.3 per cent by 2026
 we have a population of Pacific people who make up an estimated 2.5 per cent of our
population
 a higher percentage of people in our DHB live in areas of low socio-economic status
compared to the New Zealand average (24.10 per cent live in areas classified as
quintile five or most deprived, compared to a national average of 20 per cent)
 Ruapehu, Waitomo and South Waikato territorial local authorities have the highest
proportion of people living in areas of low socio-economic status
 inequalities in health tend to be highest for people living in areas identified as quintile
four and five and these people are likely to experience lower life expectancy and
higher rates of chronic conditions
 high numbers of the Māori population in our district live in areas identified as quintile
four and five
1.4.2 Health Profile
Understanding our health profile plays an important part in our decision making processes. This information helps us focus on where we can make the greatest gains in terms of our strategic outcomes, as well as for planning and prioritisation of programmes at an operational level. Key points of interest in terms of the health profile of the population are6:
6 Sourced from our latest Health Needs Assessment
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