Let's talk about the population of New Zealand.
Population of New Zealand: 2022-2023
As of 2023, New Zealand's present population stands at 5,228,100, reflecting a growth of 0.83% compared to the previous year. In 2022, the population of New Zealand was 5,185,288, indicating a 1.08% increase from the figures in 2021.
Population of New Zealand: density, growth rate, decline
New Zealand has a population density of 20 individuals per square kilometer (51 people per square mile). The population of New Zealand is experiencing a growth rate of 0.6% annually, and there is no decline in the overall population.
New Zealand cities by population
The population figures for major cities in New Zealand are as follows:
- Auckland City: 1,571,700 residents
- Christchurch City: 369,000 residents
- Wellington City: 202,700 residents
- Hamilton City: 160,900 residents
- Tauranga City: 136,700 residents
- Dunedin City: 126,300 residents.
New Zealand population by religion
Religious affiliations in New Zealand are diverse, with Christian denominations constituting 37.3% of the population (including Catholicism at 10.1%, Anglicanism at 6.8%, Presbyterian and Congregational at 5.2%, Pentecostal at 1.8%, Methodist at 1.6%, Mormon at 1.2%, and other Christian denominations at 10.7%). Hinduism is followed by 2.7% of the population, Maori traditional beliefs by 1.3%, Islam by 1.3%, Buddhism by 1.1%, and other religions by 1.6% (encompassing Judaism, Spiritualism, New Age religions, Baha'i, and non-Buddhist Asian religions). Additionally, a substantial percentage of the population identifies as having no religious affiliation, accounting for 48.6%, while 6.7% either objected to answering or did not specify their religious views.
Muslim population in New Zealand
According to the 2018 census, the Muslim population in New Zealand stood at 57,276, showing a 24% increase from 46,149 recorded in the 2013 census. The majority of Muslims in New Zealand identify as Sunnis, but a significant number of Shias, primarily concentrated in Auckland, also contribute to the community. In recent years, Shia Muslims have actively organized Ashura commemoration programs in Auckland parks, with the first conducted by the Fatima Zahra Charitable Association on January 19, 2008.
New Zealand's Muslim community is diverse, with significant populations from the Middle East (Turkey and Lebanon), South Asia (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), Southeast Asia, as well as Indo-Fijian and Somali communities. Despite assertions from various community leaders, no single ethnic group can claim to contribute more than half of the Muslim population in New Zealand. The majority of Muslims are concentrated in major cities such as Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch.
Since the mid-1990s, an increase in Malay students from Malaysia and Singapore has elevated the Muslim population in other centers, particularly in Dunedin, a university city. Dunedin is home to Al-Huda mosque, managed by the Otago Muslim Association. As of 2019, the southernmost mosque in New Zealand is the Southland Muslim Association Masjid/Community Centre in Invercargill.
New Zealand's Muslim community is diverse, with significant populations from the Middle East (Turkey and Lebanon), South Asia (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), Southeast Asia, as well as Indo-Fijian and Somali communities. Despite assertions from various community leaders, no single ethnic group can claim to contribute more than half of the Muslim population in New Zealand. The majority of Muslims are concentrated in major cities such as Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch.
Since the mid-1990s, an increase in Malay students from Malaysia and Singapore has elevated the Muslim population in other centers, particularly in Dunedin, a university city. Dunedin is home to Al-Huda mosque, managed by the Otago Muslim Association. As of 2019, the southernmost mosque in New Zealand is the Southland Muslim Association Masjid/Community Centre in Invercargill.
New Zealand population by race
The ethnic composition of the population in New Zealand is diverse, with the following distribution:
- European: 64.1%
- Māori: 16.5%
- Chinese: 4.9%
- Indian: 4.7%
- Samoan: 3.9%
- Tongan: 1.8%
- Cook Islands Māori: 1.7%
- English: 1.5%
- Filipino: 1.5%
- New Zealander: 1.0%
- Other: 13.7%
Indian population in New Zealand
Indian New Zealanders encompass individuals of Indian origin or descent residing in New Zealand. This category includes both those born in New Zealand and immigrants from various regions such as India, Fiji, other parts of Asia, South Africa, East Africa, and beyond. The term also applies to any New Zealanders with at least one parent of Indian heritage, whether born in New Zealand or elsewhere. While the definition of Indo-Kiwi has occasionally been broadened to include individuals with mixed racial parentage, this expansion can be contentious, as it may be perceived as disregarding the ethnic identity of the non-Indian parent or grandparent.
Indian New Zealanders represent the fastest-growing ethnic group in New Zealand and constitute the second-largest Asian group in the country after the Chinese. A significant portion of the Indian population in New Zealand hails from Fiji. Hindi, the fifth most spoken language in New Zealand, was documented in the 2018 census. According to ENZ.org, an affiliate of the New Zealand Government, 18,000 Indians migrated to New Zealand between 2011 and the time of reporting. In 2011, the Indian population in New Zealand was 155,000, indicating an increase to 174,000 in 2014 due to additional immigration. Early Indian immigrants to New Zealand were predominantly of Punjabi or Gujarati descent.
Indian New Zealanders represent the fastest-growing ethnic group in New Zealand and constitute the second-largest Asian group in the country after the Chinese. A significant portion of the Indian population in New Zealand hails from Fiji. Hindi, the fifth most spoken language in New Zealand, was documented in the 2018 census. According to ENZ.org, an affiliate of the New Zealand Government, 18,000 Indians migrated to New Zealand between 2011 and the time of reporting. In 2011, the Indian population in New Zealand was 155,000, indicating an increase to 174,000 in 2014 due to additional immigration. Early Indian immigrants to New Zealand were predominantly of Punjabi or Gujarati descent.
Maori population in New Zealand
The Māori people, indigenous Polynesians of mainland New Zealand (Aotearoa), trace their roots to settlers from East Polynesia who arrived in the country in multiple waves of canoe voyages between approximately 1320 and 1350. Isolated over several centuries, these settlers cultivated a distinctive culture characterized by a language, mythology, crafts, and performing arts that evolved independently from other eastern Polynesian cultures. Some early Māori migrated to the Chatham Islands, giving rise to the Moriori, New Zealand's other indigenous Polynesian ethnic group.
Early interactions between Māori and Europeans, commencing in the 18th century, varied from mutually beneficial trade to violent confrontations. Māori actively incorporated numerous technologies introduced by the newcomers. The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 marked a period of coexistence between the two cultures, but tensions escalated over contested land sales, leading to conflicts in the 1860s and subsequent land confiscations, vehemently resisted by the Māori. Following the declaration of the Treaty as legally null in 1877, Māori were compelled to assimilate into various aspects of Western culture. Social upheavals and epidemics of introduced diseases inflicted a devastating toll on the Māori population, which experienced a significant decline but began to recover by the early 20th century.
Early interactions between Māori and Europeans, commencing in the 18th century, varied from mutually beneficial trade to violent confrontations. Māori actively incorporated numerous technologies introduced by the newcomers. The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 marked a period of coexistence between the two cultures, but tensions escalated over contested land sales, leading to conflicts in the 1860s and subsequent land confiscations, vehemently resisted by the Māori. Following the declaration of the Treaty as legally null in 1877, Māori were compelled to assimilate into various aspects of Western culture. Social upheavals and epidemics of introduced diseases inflicted a devastating toll on the Māori population, which experienced a significant decline but began to recover by the early 20th century.
African population of New Zealand
African New Zealanders constitute less than 0.3% of the country's population, although this demographic has experienced significant growth since the 1990s. In the early 20th century, a small group of African students and professionals came to New Zealand for educational or employment opportunities. The 1960s and 1970s witnessed a larger influx of African immigrants, including refugees from nations such as Zambia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Presently, African New Zealanders form a modest yet expanding segment of the population. As per the 2018 New Zealand Census, approximately 16,890 individuals in New Zealand identified as having African ancestry.
Presently, African New Zealanders form a modest yet expanding segment of the population. As per the 2018 New Zealand Census, approximately 16,890 individuals in New Zealand identified as having African ancestry.
Asian population in New Zealand
In the context of Statistics New Zealand classification, the term "Asian" encompasses a pan-ethnic group that includes diverse populations with ancestral origins in East Asia (such as Chinese, Korean, Japanese), Southeast Asia (including Filipino, Vietnamese, Malaysian), and South Asia (encompassing Nepalese, Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and others). Notably, individuals with West Asian and Central Asian ancestry are excluded from this classification.
It's important to note that colloquially in New Zealand, the term "Asian" as used by Statistics New Zealand does not typically include Indians and others of South Asian descent. The exclusion of South Asian ethnic groups from colloquial usage contrasts with the broader classification employed by Statistics New Zealand.
The historical presence of Asians in New Zealand dates back to the 1860s, primarily with Chinese workers who migrated for employment in the gold mines. However, the modern period of Asian immigration began in the 1970s when New Zealand relaxed its immigration policies, aiming to attract migrants from various Asian countries.
It's important to note that colloquially in New Zealand, the term "Asian" as used by Statistics New Zealand does not typically include Indians and others of South Asian descent. The exclusion of South Asian ethnic groups from colloquial usage contrasts with the broader classification employed by Statistics New Zealand.
The historical presence of Asians in New Zealand dates back to the 1860s, primarily with Chinese workers who migrated for employment in the gold mines. However, the modern period of Asian immigration began in the 1970s when New Zealand relaxed its immigration policies, aiming to attract migrants from various Asian countries.
Black and white population in New Zealand
The percentage of the population identifying as White in New Zealand falls within the range of 60% to 70%, while individuals of Black descent make up approximately 0.3%.
Population of New Zealand vs India
India:
Females: Ø 69 years
New Zealand:
Females: Ø 84 years
- Population: 1,425,776,000
- Inhabitants per square kilometer: 433.7
- Life Expectancy:
Females: Ø 69 years
- Average Age: Ø 28.7 years
- Birth Rate: 16.42 per thousand
- Death Rate: 9.45 per thousand
- Migration Rate: -0.21 per thousand (negative, indicating more emigration than immigration)
New Zealand:
- Population: 5,228,100
- Inhabitants per square kilometer: 20
- Life Expectancy:
Females: Ø 84 years
- Average Age: Ø 37.2 years
- Birth Rate: 11.48 per thousand
- Death Rate: 6.83 per thousand
- Migration Rate: 7.46 per thousand (positive, indicating a net immigration influx)
