Pacific Health

Tagata Pasifika in New Zealand

There are more than 22 different Pacific communities in New Zealand - each with its own distinctive culture, language, history and health status. The biggest Pacific groups in New Zealand are the Samoan, Cook Islands, Tongan, Niuean, Fijian, Tokelauan, and Tuvaluan communities.

Summary information on the Pacific population and demographic information on specific Pacific population groups based on the results from the 2006 Census is provided below.

More detailed information can be found on the Statistics New Zealand website - Pacific Profiles: 2006 (a series of seven reports based on results of the 2006 census).

Summary
The 2006 Census recorded 265,974 individual Pacific people, comprising 6.9% of the total New Zealand population. The number of people identifying with the Pacific peoples ethnic group was up 14.7% from the 2001 Census, which was the second-largest increase among all ethnic groups. In 2006, 60% of the Pacific population were New Zealand born.

The Pacific population is very youthful

In 2006, 37.7% of Pacific people were aged under 15 years, compared with only 21.5% of the total population.
The median age for Pacific peoples in 2006 was 21 years, compared with 35 years for the total population.
In contrast only 4% of Pacific people were aged over 65 years, compared with 12.3% of the total population.

The majority of Pacific peoples (88% at the 2006 Census) were located within just seven District Health Boards (DHBs)

The Auckland regional DHBs (Waitemata, Auckland, Counties Manukau) collectively account for 178,000 (67%) of all Pacific people.
The next biggest Pacific populations were found in the Capital and Coast, Hutt Valley, Waikato and Canterbury DHBs.

Demographic information

Samoan
Samoans formed the largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand in 2006 and comprised 131,103 or 49 percent of the Pacific population.

The Samoan population increased by 14 percent (16,083) between 2001 and 2006
Samoans born in New Zealand account for 60 percent (77,247) of the total Samoan population.
63 percent (77,109) of Samoans are able to hold an everyday conversation in Samoan. This is a decrease of 4 percentage points since 2001.
86 percent (105,903) of Samoans affiliated with a religion. Of those Samoans who affiliated with a religion, 98 percent (104,190) affiliated with a Christian religion.
69 percent (48,147) of Samoan adults have a formal education qualification (secondary school or post-school qualification). The comparable figures for the total Pacific and New Zealand populations are 65 percent and 75 percent respectively.

Cook Island Maori
In 2006, Cook Island Maori were the second largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand making up 58,011 or 22 percent of New Zealand's Pacific population

The Cook Island Maori population increased by 10 percent (5,422) between 2001 and 2006.
Cook Island Maori born in New Zealand account for 73 percent (41,886) of the total Cook Island Maori population.
16 percent (9,075) of Cook Islands Maori are able to hold an everyday conversation in Cook Islands Maori. This is a 2 percentage point decrease since 2001.
70 percent (38,082) of Cook Island Maori affiliated with a religion. Of those Cook Island Maori who affiliated with a religion, 96 percent (36,399) were affliated with a Christian religion.
55 percent (16,443) of Cook Island Maori adults have a formal educational qualification (secondary school or post-school qualification). The comparable figures for the total Pacific and New Zealand populations are 65 percent and 75 percent respectively.

Tongan
In 2006, Tongans were the third largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand, making up 50,478 or 19 percent of New Zealand's Pacific population

The Tongan population increased by 24 percent (9,763) between 2001 and 2006.
Tongans born in New Zealand account for 56 percent (27,693) of the total Tongan population.
61 percent (28,186) of Tongan people are able to hold an everday conversation in Tongan. This is a 1 percentage point increase since 2001.
90 percent (42,813) of Tongan people affiliated with a religion. Of those Tongans who affiliated with a religion, 98 percent (41,988) were affiliated with a Christian religion.
64 percent (16,041) of Tongan adults have a formal educational qualification (secondary school or post-school qualification). The comparable figures for the total Pacific and New Zealand populations are 65 percent and 75 percent respectively.

Niuean
In 2006, Niueans were the fourth largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand, making up 22,473 or 8 percent of New Zealand's Pacific population.

The Niuean population increased by 12 percent (2,325) between 2001 and 2006.
Niueans born in New Zealand accounted for 74 percent (16,275) of the total Niuean population
25 percent (5,190) of Niueans are able to hold an everyday conversation in Niuean.
70 percent (14,739) of Niueans affiliated with a religion. Of those Niueans who affiliated with a religion, 96 percent (14,112) were affiliated with a Christian religion.
60 percent (7,035) of Niuean adults have a formal educational qualification (secondary school or post-school qualification). The comparable figures for the total Pacific and New Zealand populations are 65 percent and 75 percent respectively.

Fijian
In 2006, Fijians were the fifth largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand, making up 9,861 or 4 percent of New Zealand's Pacific population.

The Fijian population increased by 40 percent (2,820) between 2001 and 2006.
Fijians born in New Zealand account for 44 percent (4,251) of the total Fijian population. This was a 3 percentage point decrease since 2001.
29 percent (2,676) of Fijians are able to hold an everyday conversation in Fijian. This was a 1 percentage point decrease since 2001.
82 percent (7,779) of Fijians affiliated with a religion. Of those Fijians who affiliated with a religion, 87 percent (6,801) affiliated with a Christian religion.
82 percent (4,995) of Fijian adults have a formal educational qualification (secondary school or post-school qualification). The comparable figures for the total Pacific and New Zealand populations were 65 percent and 75 percent respectively.

Tokelauan
In 2006, Tokelauan were the sixth largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand, comprising of 6,819 or 3 percent of New Zealand's Pacific population.

The Tokelauan population increased by 10 percent (615) between 2001 and 2006.
Tokelauans born in New Zealand accounted for 69 percent (4,626) of the total Tokelauan population.
40 percent (2,505) of Tokelauans are able to hold an everyday conversation in Tokelauan. This is a 4 percentage point increase since 2001.
87 percent (5,571) of Tokelauans affiliate with a religion. Of those Tokelauans who affiliated with a religion, 98 percent (5,439) affiliate with a Christian religion.
63 percent (2,145) of Tokelauan adults have a formal educational qualification (secondary school or post-school qualification). The comparable figure for the total Pacific and New Zealand populations are 65 percent and 75 percent respectively.

Tuvaluan
In 2006, Tuvaluan were the seventh largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand, making up 2,625 or 1 percent of New Zealand's Pacific population.

The Tuvaluan population increased by 34 percent (660) between 2001 and 2006.
Tuvaluans born in New Zealand account for 37 percent (954) of the total Tuvaluan population.
71 percent (1,635) of Tuvaluans are able to hold an everyday conversation in Tuvaluan. This figure has remained steady since 2001.
96 percent (2,136) of Tuvaluans affiliated with a religion. Of those Tuvaluans who affiliated with a religion, 97 percent (2,244) affiliated with a Christian religion.
59 percent (732) of Tuvaluan adults have a formal educational qualification (secondary school or post-school qualification). The comparable figures for the total Pacific and New Zealand populations were 65 percent and 75 percent respectively.

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Page last updated: 13 November 2007