There were 887,493 Māori at the 2023 Census, according to figures released today.
That’s 17.8 percent of the population, the second largest group next to New Zealand European at 62.1 percent or 3,099,858 people.
The next largest was Indian at 5.8 percent, Chinese at 5.6 percent, and Samoan at 4.3 percent.
The 108,000 Filipinos at 2.2 percent outnumbered Tongans at 2 percent and Cook Island Māori at 1.9 percent
Auckland is the most diverse region with the highest proportion of people with Asian ethnicities – 31.3 percent compared with 17.3 percent nationally – and Pacific ethnicities – 16.6 percent compared with 8.9 percent nationally.
Gisborne has the highest Māori population, 54.8 percent identified as Māori compared with 52.4 percent New Zealand European, reflecting the fact people can identify with more than one ethnicity.
Tasman and Otago were the two regions where Māori dipped below 10 percent.
Deputy government statistician Rachael Milicich says just under 30 percent of New Zealanders were born overseas, and the census recorded well over 200 different birthplaces.
Census data can be found on the new Aotearoa Data Explorer tool: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/
