Demographics
Southern DHB provides services to 286,233 people or just over 7% of New Zealand’s total population, living in eight territorial local authorities (TLAs).
The Southern District Health Board boundaries include the whole of the Otago and Southland Regional Council boundaries and a very small part of Canterbury Regional Council. Waitaki Territorial Authority receives health services from Southern DHB but a small number (1,548) of its residents are served by Canterbury Regional Council rather than Otago Regional Council. This arrangement is shown in the table below
| Region | Territorial Authority | Population |
| Canterbury Regional Council | Waitaki District (1) | 1,548 |
| Otago Regional Council | Waitaki District (2) | 18,675 |
| Otago Regional Council | Central Otago District | 16,647 |
| Otago Regional Council | Clutha District | 16,836 |
| Otago Regional Council | Dunedin City | 118,689 |
| Otago Regional Council | Queenstown-Lakes District | 22,962 |
| Southland Regional Council | Gore District | 12,117 |
| Southland Regional Council | Invercargill City | 50,325 |
| Southland Regional Council | Southland District | 28,434 |
| 286,233 |