New Zealand Demographics
There are currently around 4.4 million people living in New Zealand with a healthy spread of gender and ethnic and religious backgrounds. Roughly 69% of the population is of European descent. Of the minority population groups the Maori makeup 15%, 9% are Asian and non-Maori Polynesians make up another 7%. Then there are many smaller cultural groups like South Africans, Dutch, Koreans and Indians.
The strong focus on immigration especially from the UK and Ireland and lately Asia has contributed to this mix of cultures. Kiwis themselves also enjoy a taste of different cultures with almost 500,000 living abroad themselves, mostly in Australia .
With a declining birth rate it is essential that New Zealand continues to attract valuable skilled immigrants. This will also mean that the demographics of the country will continue to diversify into the foreseeable future.
The Auckland region population is also predicted to continue growing faster than any other region of the country. This growth is estimated at around 37% as opposed to only 6% of the whole south island.
