The 2013 Census has found the Bay of Plenty is mirroring the national trend of an increasingly diverse population.
The information was released as part of the latest batch of 2013 Census results from Statistics New Zealand.
In releasing the results, Government Statistician Liz MacPherson said information from the 2013 Census showed the New Zealand population was growing more ethnically diverse, and that as a nation there was a lower rate of home ownership than in 2006, yet the number of dwellings had increased.
"The Bay of Plenty reflects those trends. The 2013 Census results show that 17.3 per cent of the Bay of Plenty's population was born overseas. This is up 2.4 per cent since 2006. Of this overseas-born population, 39.8 per cent were from the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the next most common birthplace being Asia, with 21.8 per cent," Ms MacPherson said.
"The Bay of Plenty region's rate of home ownership was 64.7 percent in 2013 - a decrease from 67.3 percent in the 2006 Census. This drop in rate of home ownership is in line with the national trend, as is the increase in the number of dwellings. The number of occupied dwellings in the
Bay of Plenty region has increased by 6,882 since the last census in 2006."
Other key points about the Bay of Plenty from the 2013 Census results include:
• The median income for people aged 15 years and over in the Bay of Plenty region is $26,200 in 2013. This compares with a New Zealand median income of $28,500. The median income for the Bay of Plenty region has increased 15.9 percent since 2006.
• In the 2013 Census, 14.3 percent of people aged 15 years and over said they had a university degree or equivalent, compared with 10.3 percent in 2006.
• Bay of Plenty has the third-highest number (and rate) of te reo Maori speakers, with over 21,000 people (8.5 percent) able to have a conversation in Maori. French continues to be the third most common language, with 0.9 percent speaking it.
Ms MacPherson said the census was about counting everyone, once, only once, and in the right place. It is about counting people where they live, and about creating a picture of communities.
"The accuracy of the information collected in the 5 March 2013 Census is what makes it so valuable for planning. This information will be extremely useful for those planning the Bay of Plenty's future."