Latest census shows Indians become New Zealand’s third largest ethnic group

According to the latest census data, the Indian population in New Zealand has surpassed the Chinese population, becoming the country’s third-largest ethnic group. In 2023, the number of people from the Indian community reached 292,092, an increase of 22% since 2018.

The largest ethnic group in New Zealand remains European, with a population of 3,099,858, followed by Māori, numbering 887,493. The Chinese population currently ranks fourth, with a total of 279,039. At the same time, the Filipino population has seen significant growth, increasing by over 35,000 to a total of 108,297, representing an approximate 50% increase.

In terms of language usage, Punjabi has experienced the fastest growth in usage between 2018 and 2023, increasing by 45.1%. Additionally, Hindi is the fourth most spoken language in New Zealand, while Punjabi ranks ninth. Other languages that have seen significant increases include Tagalog (up 37.5%) and Afrikaans (up 32.7%).

As New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland is the most ethnically diverse region in the country, with a population of 1.66 million. Although Europeans make up half of the population, the proportion of Asians in Auckland is as high as 31.3%, significantly above the national average of 17.3%. The proportion of Pacific Islanders is 16.6%, compared to the national average of 8.9%. In Auckland, the Chinese community is the third-largest ethnic group, after Europeans and Māori, while the Indian population ranks fourth, increasing from 154,824 in 2018 to 175,794 in 2023, a growth of 13%.

Additionally, the census data indicates that among the permanent residents of New Zealand, 3.5 million were born in New Zealand, while 1.4 million were born overseas. Among the overseas-born population, those from the UK account for 4.2%, with both China and India contributing 2.9%. Since 2018, the Asian populations from India and the Philippines have grown by 22.1% (52,899 people) and 49.1% (35,685 people), respectively, accounting for about half of the increase in the Asian population.