Canterbury outpaced the rest of the economy in the year to June because of rebuilding in Christchurch.
The National Bank's regional trends survey shows economic activity in the region was up 4.4%, while Auckland recorded 3% growth.
Growth in Canterbury fell 0.8% in the previous financial year.
National Bank economist Steve Edwards says much of the jump in the latest year can be attributed to a pick-up in building consents and retail sales, while job advertisements have also increased.
Mr Edwards says there remains a risk that New Zealand will end up with a two-speed economy of rapid growth in Canterbury and sluggish growth nationally, though it's not a problem at the moment.
