Quick answerDunedin is a city in New Zealand, with 104,000 people inside the city limits in 2025. It is best known for the University of Otago, the Dunedin Railway Station and the Otago Peninsula wildlife. Its official language is English and Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, and its currency is the New Zealand dollar.
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island, with about 104,000 people in its urban area (June 2025). It stands on the south-eastern coast of the South Island, around Otago Harbour, and is known as the Edinburgh of the South.
Key facts
| Country | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 104,000 (2025) |
| Time zone | Pacific/Auckland |
| Language | English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD, $) |
| Coordinates | 45.87417° S, 170.50361° E |
Overview
Dunedin stands on the central-eastern coast of Otago, in the south-east of the South Island, around Otago Harbour. With 104,000 people in its urban area in June 2025, it is the second-largest city in the South Island and one of New Zealand's four main centres. The harbour and the hills around the city are the remains of an extinct volcano, and the suburbs spread across the Otago Peninsula and along the Pacific coast.
Dunedin was founded in 1848 as a Scottish settlement, named after Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh. The city boomed during the Otago gold rush of the 1860s and was briefly New Zealand's largest city. The University of Otago, founded in 1869, is the country's oldest university. Dunedin was named a UNESCO City of Literature in 2014, and the Otago Peninsula is known for its albatross, penguins and sea lions.
What Dunedin is known for
- University of Otago
- Dunedin Railway Station
- Otago Peninsula wildlife
- Scottish heritage
- UNESCO City of Literature
Landmarks
- Dunedin Railway Station
- University of Otago
- Otago Museum
- First Church of Otago
- Baldwin Street
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Dunedin?
About 104,000 people live in Dunedin's urban area (104,000 in June 2025, according to Statistics New Zealand). The wider Dunedin territorial authority, which includes large rural areas around the city, had about 133,000 people. Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island, after Christchurch, and New Zealand's seventh-largest urban area.
Where is Dunedin and what is it known for?
Dunedin is on the south-eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island, in the Otago region, around the head of Otago Harbour. It is known as the Edinburgh of the South for its Scottish heritage, for the University of Otago — New Zealand's oldest university — for its grand railway station, and for the wildlife of the Otago Peninsula.
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Keep exploring
- New Zealand — the country Dunedin is in
- Auckland — another city in New Zealand
- Christchurch — another city in New Zealand
- Wellington — 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.