Selwyn has been named as the New Zealand district with the strongest economy for the second year in a row.

Economic rankings released by Business and Economic Research Limited name Selwyn as the top performer for 2013 as well as the fastest growing area in New Zealand.

Selwyn's population grew by 4.5 percent last year, more than five times the national average.

While employment in Selwyn grew by six percent, compared with national employment growth of 0.2 percent.