Dunedin residents bask in the good life

The survey found 83% of participants from across Dunedin rated their overall quality of life highly, securing the city the top spot among seven participating centres for the second time in a row.

Mayor of Dunedin Sophie Barker says, “It will come as no surprise to the people of Ōtepoti Dunedin, but it’s still hugely satisfying to see the positives of life in the South recognised in this way.

We are incredibly lucky to have such an amazing mix of history, culture, urban vibrancy, world-class scenery and wildlife right on our doorstep in Ōtepoti Dunedin.

It’s also really pleasing to see most people are happy in their local areas – the suburbs they call home within Dunedin – and that the vast majority of people feel safe in our CBD during the day.

“The results do also highlight the areas we need to work on, including the frustrations of traffic congestion, rubbish and litter, but overall these results tell an incredibly positive story about Ōtepoti Dunedin.”

Key findings:

• 83% of Dunedin participants rated their overall quality of life as positive.
• Almost half of respondents (49%) said quality of life has stayed the same compared to previous 12 months, compared to 24% who found it has increased and 27% who found it has decreased.
• 62% report their local area has a positive look and feel.
• 90% find that green and open spaces easy to get to, and 84% agree that these spaces support their wellbeing.
• Main problems for residents include traffic congestion (62%), rubbish and litter (76%), dangerous driving (74%), vandalism (64%), and theft and burglary (54%), but 92% of people feel safe in city centre during the day.

The survey sampled the views of 579 people from Dunedin, among 5725 people from all participating centres also including Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Porirua and Hutt City.

The survey results also highlighted factors affecting quality of life, including housing affordability and cost of living concerns.

Read the report: Survey Results – The Quality of Life Project

A second report with detailed results for Dunedin – including results by age, ethnicity, gender, and broad geographic area – will be published in October 2026.

Dunedin specific reports 2022 and 2024 are also available on the DCC website Quality of Life Survey - Dunedin City Council.

More information: About the survey – The Quality of Life Project

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