Quick answerChristchurch is a city in New Zealand, with 407,800 people inside the city limits in 2025. The wider metropolitan area had about 0.6 million people in 2025. It is best known for the Garden City and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Its official language is English and Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, and its currency is the New Zealand dollar.
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island, with about 408,000 people in its urban area and about 557,000 in the wider metropolitan area (June 2025). It stands on the east coast of the South Island, on the Canterbury Plains, and is known as the Garden City.
Key facts
| Country | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 407,800 (2025) |
| Population (metro) | 556,500 (2025) · Christchurch metropolitan area (Stats NZ, June 2025) |
| Time zone | Pacific/Auckland |
| Language | English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD, $) |
| Coordinates | 43.5311° S, 172.6361° E |
Overview
Christchurch stands on the east coast of the South Island, near the centre of the coast, east of the Canterbury Plains. With 407,800 people in its urban area in June 2025, it is the largest city in the South Island and the second-largest city in New Zealand, and its metropolitan area had 556,500 people. The Avon River / Ōtākaro winds through the city centre, beside Hagley Park.
Christchurch was settled by English colonists in 1850 and became a city in 1856, making it the oldest established city in New Zealand. It is known as the Garden City for its parks and Botanic Gardens, and as one of five Antarctic gateway cities, hosting support bases for nations' Antarctic programmes. The city was damaged by earthquakes from 2010, the most destructive on 22 February 2011, in which 185 people were killed, and much of the city has been rebuilt since.
What Christchurch is known for
- Garden City
- Christchurch Botanic Gardens
- Canterbury Museum
- Avon River / Ōtākaro
- Antarctic gateway
Landmarks
- Christchurch Botanic Gardens
- Canterbury Museum
- Christchurch Art Gallery
- New Regent Street
- Hagley Park
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Christchurch?
About 408,000 people live in Christchurch's urban area (407,800 in June 2025, according to Statistics New Zealand). The wider metropolitan area had about 557,000 people. Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and the second-largest city in New Zealand by urban population, after Auckland.
Where is Christchurch and what is it known for?
Christchurch is on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island, in the Canterbury Region, near the centre of the coast and east of the Canterbury Plains. It is known as the Garden City for its parks and Botanic Gardens, for the Avon River winding through its centre, and as a gateway for Antarctic expeditions.
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Keep exploring
- New Zealand — the country Christchurch is in
- Auckland — another city in New Zealand
- Wellington — another city in New Zealand
- Dunedin — another city in New Zealand
- Ernest Rutherford — New Zealander science figure
- All cities in New Zealand
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.