Asian people in New Zealand
By ethnicity, 2023 Census, number of people
| Ethnic group (total response) | Number of people |
|---|---|
| Asian (not further defined) | 12,645 |
| Southeast Asian (not further defined) | 8,235 |
| Filipino | 108,297 |
| Cambodian | 11,514 |
| Vietnamese | 14,157 |
| Burmese | 3,453 |
| Indonesian | 7,614 |
| Lao | 1,860 |
| Malay | 4,797 |
| Thai | 12,858 |
| Karen | 780 |
| Chin | 1,110 |
| Southeast Asian (not elsewhere classified) | 2,223 |
| Chinese | 279,039 |
| Indian | 292,092 |
| Sri Lankan (not further defined) | 5,100 |
| Sinhalese | 14,436 |
| Sri Lankan Tamil | 4,221 |
| Japanese | 19,488 |
| Korean | 38,934 |
| Afghan | 8,721 |
| Bangladeshi | 3,552 |
| Nepali | 6,948 |
| Pakistani | 8,094 |
| Tibetan | 129 |
| Eurasian | 1,296 |
| Bhutanese | 882 |
| Maldivian | 153 |
| Mongolian | 261 |
| Asian (not elsewhere classified) | 735 |
Data Quality
Using this data
You can use this data confidently. Stats NZ rated it as high quality. For more information, read about response rates below.
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
Ethnicity is a multiple-response variable, therefore the number of total responses will be greater than the number of respondents (e.g. a person who identifies as Samoan and Chinese would be counted once in each category). 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 census results with other sources.
Read the response rates and final data sources section for more information.
Subject matter
Response rates and final data sources
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.
For more information
https://datainfoplus.stats.govt.nz/item/nz.govt.stats/7c1335e0-c2c7-4217-ac48-bfc7a68aea48
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/2023-census-population-dwelling-and-housing-highlights/
Data provided by
Dataset name
Census: Select variables by detailed ethnic group (custom request) - Territorial Authority 2023
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.
Import & extraction details
File as imported: Census: Select variables by detailed ethnic group (custom request) - Territorial Authority 2023
From the dataset Census: Select variables by detailed ethnic group (custom request) - Territorial Authority 2023, this data was extracted:
- Sheet: TA
- Range:
G2:H15250 - Provided: 26,358 data points
This data forms the table Census - Usually resident population by detailed ethnicity, MEC group, and territorial authority 2023.
About this dataset
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 2023 Census, held on Tuesday 7 March, was the 35th 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.