Asian people in New Zealand who were born overseas
By ethnicity, 2018 Census, % of people where information available
Asian (not further defined)
90.5%
Southeast Asian (not further defined)
90.5%
South African Indian
89.8%
Bhutanese
88.3%
Hong Kong Chinese
87.4%
Maldivian
86.7%
Sinhalese
86.4%
Asian (not elsewhere classified)
86.3%
Nepalese
86.3%
Filipino
85.6%
Korean
85.3%
Malaysian Indian
84.1%
Mongolian
81.6%
Karen
80.7%
Sri Lankan (not further defined)
80.7%
Indian (not elsewhere classified)
80%
Malaysian Chinese
79.4%
Taiwanese
79.1%
Singaporean Chinese
78.5%
Sikh
78.1%
Indian Tamil
77.9%
Bangladeshi
77.3%
Chin
77.2%
Burmese
77.1%
Thai
76.9%
Sri Lankan Tamil
76.3%
Southeast Asian (not elsewhere classified)
76.3%
Indian
76.1%
Indonesian
76.1%
Pakistani
75.9%
Malay
75.8%
Bengali
75.8%
Fijian Indian
75.7%
Vietnamese
74.9%
Chinese (not elsewhere classified)
73%
Chinese
72.9%
Anglo Indian
71.2%
Japanese
69.9%
Afghani
68.9%
Punjabi
65.1%
Cambodian
62.5%
Cambodian Chinese
60.7%
Vietnamese Chinese
57.5%
Tibetan
57.1%
Lao
54.5%
Eurasian
48.8%
The following information applies to all values in the table. Census Year: 2018, Subject population: Census usually resident population, MEC group: Asian, Birthplace: Overseas born, Unit: Percentage
Use this data with caution. This data was rated moderate quality by Stats NZ. Read the warnings and response rate metadata below before using.
Stats NZ gives data an overall rating based on sources and coverage, consistency, and data quality.
Why am I seeing this?
This data is from the Census. The past two censuses had relatively low response rates, particularly for some areas of New Zealand and groups of people.
Where information was missing or unreadable, Stats NZ attempted to use data from a range of places such as previous censuses or administrative data that is collected by other government agencies. If that isn't available, Stats NZ use statistical models to predict what the missing data would have been. This is called imputation.
Things to be aware of
In some cases on the paper form, respondents provided broader regions instead of countries. It was not possible to code these to the lowest level of the classification.
A person may vary their reporting of their ethnicity, including the number of ethnicities they identify with, according to the context in which they are asked. This is a consideration when comparing the 2018 Census results with other sources. In addition, the 'as-you-type' online functionality of this census allowed for more detailed responses than in other data collections, including previous censuses.
Birthplace refers to the country where a person was born and uses the name of the country at the time of the census. Country is the current, short or official name of a country, dependency, or other area of particular geopolitical interest. The term is defined to include:
- independent countries recognised by the New Zealand Government
- units that are recognised geographic areas
- administrative subdivisions of the United Kingdom
- overseas dependencies, or external territories of independent countries.
This information was meant to be collected for all people on census night, though all analysis is conducted on the usually resident population (which excludes tourists).
Ethnicity is the ethnic group or groups a person identifies with or has a sense of belonging to. It is a measure of cultural affiliation (in contrast to race, ancestry, nationality, or citizenship). This demographic attribute is self-perceived, and a person can belong to more than one ethnic group.
Response rates and final data sources
Birthplace:
The response rate from 2018 Census forms was 83.8%. In addition, 8.6% of responses were sourced from forms submitted during the 2013 Census. 6.4% were sourced from administrative data such as the births register and migration datasets. Stats NZ was not able to source country of birth data for 1.2% of people.
Ethnic group:
The response rate from 2018 Census forms was 84.4%. In addition, 8.2% of responses were sourced from forms submitted during the 2013 Census. 6.2% were sourced from administrative data such as the births register, education enrolments, Ministry of Health, Corrections, and Ministry of Defence datasets. 1.2% of responses were imputed, while less than 0.1% were missing.
Some responses that could not be classified, or did not provide the type of information asked for, remain in the data where Stats NZ was unable to find information from another source. These are included in the response rate from 2018 Census forms.
Definitions
Census usually resident population count of New Zealand: a count of all people who usually live in and were present in New Zealand on census night. It excludes overseas visitors and New Zealand residents who are temporarily overseas.
Data calculation/treatment
This data has been randomly rounded to protect confidentiality. Figure.NZ calculated percentages based on the 'Total stated' values for each variable. Individual percentages may not sum to 100% and values for the same data may vary in different tables.
The 2018 Census was a modernised census based on models used in 2016 by the Canadian and Australian statistical agencies and then applied in the New Zealand context. Stats NZ collaborated with census experts from both countries when designing the model.
Under the new model, how Stats NZ enabled/collected from the respondents changed from predominately field-based activities to 80 percent mail-out with a reduced field presence and increased communications, marketing and engagement. The way respondents completed their forms also changed, with a greater focus on online completion over paper. The majority of the population was encouraged to complete the census online using an internet access code mailed to their households before census night. The new collection model therefore relied on the public to self-respond, rather than wait for a visit from field staff. Field follow-up activities were also planned.
The main areas of change were:
- phasing the model (prepare, enable, remind and visit)
- strategies used across the different phases
- mailing out “call to action” letters with an internet access code and instructions on how to order paper forms, if required, as the first interaction with census
- reducing the number of field staff, with a new structure and roles
- outsourcing the recruitment functions for field staff
- introducing new field technology
- creating a new address frame (a list of all dwellings in New Zealand)
- an integrated communications campaign including community engagement
- a new approach to processing the census data.
Census: Select variables by detailed ethnic group (custom request) 2018
How to find the data
This data was originally produced by Stats NZ for the Ministry of Ethnic Communities (MEC). Figure.NZ was restructured and organised by Figure.NZ for processing purposes.
The MEC ethnic grouping has been inserted by Figure.NZ based on the latest MEC classification in 2023.
The New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings is the official count of how many people and dwellings there are in New Zealand. It provides a snapshot of our society at a point in time and helps to tell the story of its social and economic change. The 2018 Census, held on Tuesday 6 March, was the 34th New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings. The first official census was run in 1851, and since 1877 there has been a census every five years, with only four exceptions.
Purpose of collection
Census information is used by government agencies, local authorities, businesses, community organisations, and the public for developing and implementing new policies, research, planning, and decision-making. It helps us make decisions about how to best use public funding, especially in areas of health, education, housing, and transport.
The census is also the primary source of information used for deciding the number of general and Māori electorates, along with data from the corresponding Māori Electoral Option.