Most of the 4 million New Zealanders are of European descent, overwhelmingly of British or Irish origin. These people are often known in New Zealand as Pakeha. About 15% claim descent from the indigenous Maori people, a branch of the Polynesian people. Nearly 75% of the people, including a large majority of Maori, live on the North Island. In addition, 167,000 Pacific Islanders also live in New Zealand. Unlike Australia, traditionally there has been very little immigration from continental Europe, except from the Netherlands. There has been increased immigration from East Asian countries, such as Taiwan and South Korea, and also from South Africa. During the late 1870s, natural increase permanently replaced immigration as the chief contributor to population growth and has accounted for more than 75% of population growth in the 20th century. Nearly 85% of New Zealand's population lives in urban areas (with almost one-third in Auckland alone), where the service and manufacturing industries are growing rapidly. New Zealanders colloquially refer to themselves as "Kiwis," after the country's native bird.
In 1939, the population was ~1,600,000+.
Population:
3,951,307 (July 2003 est.) Age structure:
Median age:
Population growth rate:
1.09% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
14.14 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
4.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate:
Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate:
1.79 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,200 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
Ethnic groups:
New Zealand European 74.5%, Maori 9.7%, other European 4.6%, Pacific Islander 3.8%, Asian and others 7.4%
Religions:
Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986)
Languages:
English (official), Maori (official)
Literacy:
Demographical History of New Zealand
The population is estimated to have increased above 4,000,000 people on 24 April, 2003.
0-14 years:
21.9% (male 443,837; female 423,118)
15-64 years:
66.5% (male 1,318,751; female 1,307,796)
65 years and over:
11.6% (male 199,722; female 258,083) (2003 est.)
total:
33.1 years
male:
32.4 years
female:
33.9 years (2002)
at birth:
1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.77 male(s)/female
total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
total:
6.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
5.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male:
6.96 deaths/1,000 live births
total population:
78.32 years
male:
75.34 years
female:
81.44 years (2003 est.)
noun:
New Zealander(s)
adjective:
New Zealand
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
99% (1980 est.)
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
