Victor Luca has been the mayor of Whakatāne since the 2022 local elections.

[2] A Whakatane County Council was established in 1876, and covered a wider area than the present district, including Ōpōtiki.

This expanded in 1989 by amalgamating with Murupara Borough, and taking parts of Opotiki and Taupo districts.

[5][6] Whakatāne District consists of the following towns, localities, settlements and communities:

The results were 62.3% European (Pākehā); 48.6% Māori; 3.9% Pasifika; 4.3% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

Of those at least 15 years old, 3,861 (13.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 16,800 (57.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 7,572 (25.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications.

[9] Whakatāne has a friendship agreement with Shibukawa, Gunma, Japan.