August 19, 2014
Almost one in five Maori Ngapuhi
The number of Maori who identify as Ngapuhi now tops 125,000, according to the 2013 census.
Statistics New Zealand says that makes it the biggest of the 99 iwi identified in the survey.
Twelve iwi had populations under 500.
Most Maori chose to identify with only one iwi, but more than 9000 said they affiliated with five – the largest number that would be recorded.
The largest iwi in the South Island was Ngai Tahu, which had almost 30,000 descendants or 54 percent of its members living there.
Census manager Gareth Meech says the data should help iwi see themselves more clearly and support their decision making.
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