The face of New Zealand is changing and the most drastic
changes will take place in Auckland, where projections show
that within 10 years, non-Europeans will make up nearly half
of the population.
"Auckland has dominated New Zealand's population growth over
the last two years, which allows for births, deaths, arrivals
and departures of residents," said population statistics
manager Andrea Blackburn.
"The 1.5 millionth person [in Auckland] could be a migrant
coming from overseas, or from within New Zealand, but it is
most likely to be a baby, because births add more than net
migration to Auckland's population growth."
Ms Blackburn said the city's population hit 500,000 at the
1961 Census but crossed the one million mark by the time of
the 1996 Census.
Associate Prof Elsie Ho, of the University of Auckland's
social and community health department, said Auckland was a
magnet for Asian migrants, and present immigration policy
targeted people who helped increase its population by births.
Auckland attracted people of Asian heritage because it
offered a metropolitan lifestyle, clean and green environment
and good schools, she said.
"Immigration policies favour the young, affluent and
qualified - and starting a family or raising a family is why
many of them initially choose to come to New Zealand," Dr Ho
said.
Many Asians chose to move to New Zealand for the sake of
their children. Chinese, who felt restricted by China's
one-child policy, could have more children.
An increase in mixed marriages meant that in 2021, many
Aucklanders would identify with more than just one ethnicity
and this was a good thing for building better race relations
and cultural understanding.
The Asian population is expected to increase slightly in
Wellington and Christchurch over the next 10 years.
Statistics New Zealand said fertility rates were higher for
Maori and Pacific populations than for Europeans and Asians.
Auckland's population ranks fifth largest across Australia
and New Zealand, behind Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and
Perth.
The figures
NZ's population
By 2021, will be made up of:
- 71% Europeans.
- 16% Maori.
- 14% Asian.
- 9% Pacific Islanders.
Auckland's population
By 2021, for every 100 residents in Auckland.
-27 will be Asian.
- 17 will be Pacific Islanders.
- 12 will be Maori.
- 53 will be European.
(Some people identify with two or more ethnicities).
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