Opawa is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located 2.5 kilometres south-east of the city centre.

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Opawa
Suburb
Saint Mark's Anglican Church
Coordinates: 43.551342°S 172.661937°E / -43.551342; 172.661937
Country	New Zealand
City	Christchurch
Local authority	Christchurch City Council
Electoral ward	Heathcote
Community board	Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere-Heathcote
Area [1]
• Land	81 ha (200 acres)
Population  (June 2023)[2]
• Total	1,320

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Waltham		Woolston
	Opawa
St Martins		Hillsborough

The name is a contraction of "Ōpāwaho", which, in Māori, means a place of ('ō') an outer pā or outpost ('pāwaho'). "Ōpāwaho" or "Opaawaho" is the Māori name for the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River.^[3]

Opawa covers 0.81 km² (0.31 sq mi).^[1] It had an estimated population of 1,320 as of June 2023,^[2] with a population density of 1,630 people per km².

Opawa had a population of 1,365 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 63 people (4.8%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 69 people (−4.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 504 households, comprising 642 males and 723 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.89 males per female. The median age was 47.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 219 people (16.0%) aged under 15 years, 186 (13.6%) aged 15 to 29, 621 (45.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 342 (25.1%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.8% European/Pākehā, 6.6% Māori, 1.3% Pasifika, 5.1% Asian, and 2.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 21.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.7% had no religion, 37.8% were Christian, 0.9% were Hindu, 1.1% were Buddhist and 2.2% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 363 (31.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 195 (17.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $33,300, compared with $31,800 nationally. 222 people (19.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 501 (43.7%) people were employed full-time, 180 (15.7%) were part-time, and 30 (2.6%) were unemployed.^[4]

Opawa School is a full primary school for years 1 to 8,^[5] with a roll of 313 students. It opened in 1872.^[6]

Christchurch Rudolf Steiner School is a state-integrated composite school for years 1 to 13,^[7] with a roll of 328 students. The school opened in 1975 and became state-integrated in 1989.^[8]

St Mark's School is an Anglican state-integrated full primary school for years 1 to 8.^[9] It has a roll of 218 students. It started in 1921.^[10]

All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of February 2024.^[11]