A man has died after falling from the 12th floor balcony of an Auckland apartment building early today.

Police and ambulance officers rushed to the scene on Rutland St, in the central city, around 3am.

The 32-year-old had died before emergency services arrived.

A police spokesman said the death had been referred to the coroner.

He said no one else was believed to be on the balcony when the man fell.

Alcohol was possibly a factor in the incident, but the circumstances were unclear, he said.