Why do most people in New Zealand live on the North Island?

The majority of New Zealand's population resides on the North Island primarily because its terrain is significantly less precipitous than that of the South Island, which is dominated by mountainous regions.12

The North Island offers a more benign climate and greater economic potential, factors that have historically encouraged settlement and urban growth. Consequently, the island has become the site of major urban centers, including the national capital, Wellington, and the country's primary industrial and commercial hub, Auckland. While the South Island contains significant urban areas, its population has grown less rapidly, and the North Island continues to attract an increasingly larger proportion of the national population.2341