New Zealand Demographics

Ethnic Groups

A member of New Zealand's Ngati Rangiwewehi Maori group

Most European New Zealanders are of British, Irish or Dutch ancestry. Indigenous Maori people are the largest non-European ethnic group (the percentage of the population of full or part-Maori ancestry is 14.7%; those who checked Maori only are 7.9%). Between the 1996 and 2001 census, the number of people of Asian origin (6.6%) overtook the number of people of Pacific Island origin (6.5%) (note that the census allowed multiple ethnic affiliations). New Zealand was positive about immigration and is committed to increasing its population by about 1% per annum. At present, migrants from the UK constitute the largest single group (30%) but new migrants are drawn from many nations, increasingly from east Asia.

Religions

Christianity is the predominant religion in New Zealand, although nearly 40% of the population has no religious affiliation.

The main Christian denominations are Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism, Presbyterianism and Methodism. There are also significant numbers who identify themselves with Pentecostal and Baptist churches and with the LDS (Mormon) church. The New Zealand-based Ratana church has many adherents among Maori. According to census figures, other significant minority religions include Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam.