March 31, 2022
Tairawhiti leads Māori population growth
The proportion of people identifying with Māori ethnicity is projected to grow in all regions over the next two decades.
In 2018, Māori made up 17 percent of New Zealand’s population.
Stats NZ says it’s likely to be 21 percent by 2043, with the biggest increase being Gisborne where it could rise from 54 percent to 69 percent.
Northland, Hawke’s Bay, Whanganui-Manawatu and Wellington will also see double digit increases, and even Otago is expecting to rise from 9 percent to 12 percent.
Population estimates manager Hamis Slack says differences in age structure, with relatively high proportions of tamariki and rangatahi, combined with higher birth rates result in faster projected growth for the Māori population compared with the total population overall.”