Facts about New Zealand - Aotearoa

The population of NZ is now 3.85 million.

It grows at a rate of one person every 23 minutes and 31 seconds.

We will reach 4 million by 2006 and peak at 4.64 million by 2044.

The percentage of children under 15 in society will fall, from 23 per cent in 1999 to 16 per cent in 2101.

The number of people under 22 will also drop.

71.7 per cent of New Zealanders are of European origin, 14.5 per cent are Maori and 5.5 per cent are of Pacific origin.

The percentages of Maori, Pacific Island and Asian people in NZ are increasing.

The number of households will rise from 1.29 million in 1996 to a peak of 1.83 million in 2044.

The age structure of households will reflect the ageing population. The percentage of householders aged between 25 and 44 will fall from 43 per cent in 1996 to 26 per cent by 2051.

The most common family type in NZ are couples with children.

Maori, Pacific Island people, Vietnamese and Africans have the highest proportion of people living in one-parent families. More than one-quarter of all Maori, Cook Islanders and Niueans live in one-parent families.

One-family households are the most-common type.

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