Christchurch East, originally called Christchurch City East, was first created for the 1871 election and was abolished for two periods, from 1875–1905 and again from 1946–1996. It was last created for the introduction of the MMP voting system for the 1996 election. It has been held by the Labour Party since 1922 and is considered a safe Labour seat. At the 2025 boundary review Christchurch East gained an area from Christchurch Central in Linwood and Phillipstown.