Abstract
Our statistical tools need sharpening to meet current and future challenges. Population data sources, estimates, and projections are having to evolve to meet the needs of climate change, large scale infrastructure investments, housing, health and care in circumstances that they were not designed for. Ethnic diversity and a rapidly ageing population combine with volatile migration flows to give each place a distinctive challenge in balancing population focused services with who lives there. Patterns of ageing now differ across places and within population subgroups around the country. The regular population census has long been the window on places, communities and families that monitors such change. Statistics NZ now wish to change our key window on the population dynamics that drive population change in many parts of Aotearoa New Zealand. This Briefing proposes that before such changes, the scientific implications be transparent. This Briefing summarises some of the critical needs and challenges that our national population statistics need to meet. It then reviews plans for a shift away from a 5-yearly