In response to a request from the Hui Taumata 2005 Steering Committee, Statistics New Zealand has prepared this paper looking at current and future aspects of the Māori population.
Key Results
The ethnic composition of New Zealand’s population is changing, with the Māori, Pacific and Asian ethnic groups making up a growing proportion of the population. This reflects past and likely future differences in fertility, as well as growth from intermarriage and changes in immigration policy.
The Māori population has a younger age structure than the heterogeneous non-Māori population, and therefore has a greater built-in momentum for further growth. Combined with higher fertility for Māori people, this means that the Māori ethnic group is likely to grow at a faster pace than their non-Māori counterparts.
The Māori population will age in the coming decades. The median age (half of the population is younger, and half older, than this age) of the Māori population is projected to increase by five years between 2001 and 2021. However, even two decades on, the Māori population will still have a younger age structure than the current New Zealand population.