Key points
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is an internationally accepted measure of economic activity. When presented on a regional basis, it provides an indication of the size and structure of a regional economy and measures the changes taking place within it. Regional economic data supports Government’s ability to identify and address region-specific issues more efficiently.
Statistics New Zealand released industry-level GRP estimates for the year ended March 2007, and these were regionalised by Garry MacDonald, Market Economics Limited. According to these results, the Waikato Region is still the fourth largest regional economy in New Zealand after Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury. In the year ended March 2007, the Waikato Region contributed 9.1% of national GDP. Of this, approximately 14% ($2.2 billion) is agricultural production. The proportion contributed by agriculture has increased since 2001, when it was 12.7%. The dairy industry, including dairy farming and manufacturing, grew from 10.8% of GDP in 2001 to 12.7% in 2007.
Regional GDP estimates – Waikato Region
Source: Market Economics Limited, 2009, based on Statistics New Zealand data.
Notes: Figures may not sum due to rounding. All figures are in current prices ($000). Timeframe is year ended March.
What agencies are doing
Information currently being collated.
What you can do to help
Information currently being collated.
More information
More detail on this indicator, including how and where this information is collected, is available here.
What we want to achieve
The community outcome we are seeking to achieve by increasing the regional GDP contributed by primary industries is:
- Our economy is built on land-based industries, and we encourage planning and practices that protect and sustain our productive resources.