Drawn from the 2006 census released at the end of last year, the figures show that the Cook Islands Maori population living in New Zealand increased by 10 percent (5,442) to 58,011, between 2001 and 2006.
This makes Cook Islands Maori the second largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand, making up 22 percent of New Zealand’s Pacific population (265,974).
Those born in New Zealand account for 73 percent (41,886) of the total population, with just over 60 percent — the same proportion in 2001 — living in the Auckland region.
The median age of the Cook Islands Maori population (half are younger and half are older than this age) was 19 years. By comparison, the median ages for the Pacific and total New Zealand populations were 21 years and 36 years, respectively.
Seventy percent (38,082) of Cook Islands Maori said that they had affiliations with a religion. Of that figure, 96 percent (36,399) said they were affiliated with a Christian religion.
Education-wise 55 percent (16,443) of Cook Islands Maori adults have a formal educational qualification (secondary school or post-school qualification). The comparable figures for the total Pacific and New Zealand populations are 65 percent and 75 percent, respectively.
The census found that only 16 percent (9075) of Cook Islands Maori are able to hold an everyday conversation in Cook Islands Maori. This is a two percentage point decrease since 2001.
