Auckland is New Zealand's largest city. Its population of 1.3 million represents about a third of the whole country. Auckland serves as the prime access point to New Zealand for overseas arrivals, with the country's largest airport serving more than 10 million passengers each year.

Auckland is the retail and commercial centre of New Zealand, with a concentration of head offices for New Zealand corporates in the financial/business services, manufacturing and primary industries. The city has three universities and several other tertiary institutions, together with a range of private and state secondary schools.