Project Auckland: Caroline Butterworth: Housing solutions for Aucklanders 11 Mar, 2021 12:00 AM 4 minutes to read Statistics NZ projects Auckland's population to hit 2 million somewhere around 2030. Photo / File NZ Herald OPINION: Auckland has always been an attractive place to live. The name Tāmaki Makaurau literally means "Tāmaki, desired by many". Already home to one-in-three people living in New Zealand, Statistics NZ projects Auckland's population to hit 2 million somewhere around 2030. Significantly, within a few years of that milestone, the number of Aucklanders aged 65+ will exceed the number of children aged 0-14, and the 40-64 age group will become the largest overall. In addition, Auckland's attractiveness to, and need for, workers from around the world is set to re-intensify as international borders reopen post-pandemic. This will bring in people who don't necessarily view the ideal city home as a single storey bungalow with a backyard.