Population and Demographics

New Zealand has a population of about 4.1 million, of which approximately 80% are of European descent. New Zealanders of European descent are collectively known as Pakeha; this term is used variously and some Maori use it to refer to all non-Maori New Zealanders. Most European New Zealanders are of British and Irish ancestry with smaller percentages of Dutch, South Slav, and/or Italian 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%; Maori only is 7.9%).

New Zealand has relatively open immigration policies; its government is committed to increasing its population by about 1% annually. Twenty percent of the population was born overseas, one of the highest anywhere in the world. At present, immigrants from the United Kingdom constitute the largest single group (30%) but immigrants are drawn from many nations, and increasingly from East Asia (Chinese, Japanese and Korean are the most numerous of this group, but includes Southeast Asian and Indian peoples).

Christianity is the predominant religion, with the main Christian denominations 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 Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.

Religion does not play a major role in New Zealand public life and in census returns, over 40% of people stated that they adhered to no religion, or left the field blank. Overtly Christian-based political parties such as Christian Heritage and Destiny have been unsuccessful, and the religion (or lack of religion) of political leaders - while generally known - is considered by most to be a private matter.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 4,076,140
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 21.1% (male 439,752/female 419,174)
  • 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,374,850/female 1,361,570)
  • 65 years and over: 11.8% (male 210,365/female 270,429)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 33.9 years
  • Male: 33.2 years
  • Female: 34.7 years
• Population Growth Rate: 0.99%
• Birth Rate: 13.76 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 7.53 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: 3.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 5.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 6.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 78.81 years
  • Male: 75.82 years
  • Female: 81.93 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 1.79 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 0.1%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 1,400
• Ethnic Groups:
  • European 69.8%
  • Maori 7.9%
  • Asian 5.7%
  • Pacific islander 4.4%
  • Other 0.5%
  • Mixed 7.8%
  • Unspecified 3.8%
• Religions:
  • Anglican 14.9%
  • Roman Catholic 12.4%
  • Presbyterian 10.9%
  • Methodist 2.9%
  • Pentecostal 1.7%
  • Baptist 1.3%
  • Other Christian 9.4%
  • Other 3.3%
  • Unspecified 17.2%
  • None 26%
• Languages:
  • English (official)
  • Maori (official)
  • Sign Language (official)
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 99%
  • Male: 99%
  • Female: 99%