This infographic, first produced for SPACPAC Polyfest 2025, shows some key statistics relating to Pacific People living in New Zealand and the Canterbury region from 2023 Census.
Text description: Pacific Peoples in Canterbury - What the Numbers Tell Us
Languages spoken
All ethnicities and ages The number of Pacific People over 15-years-old
- New Zealand totals:
- Gagana Samoa/Samoa: 110,541
- Lea Faka-Tonga/Tonga: 37,752
- Vosa VakaViti/Fiji: 8,439
- Te Reo Māori Kūki 'Airani/Cook Islands: 7,854
- Vagahau Niue/Niue: 4,035
- Te Gana Tuvalu/Tuvalu: 3,396
- Te Taetae ni Kiribati/Kiribati: 2,862
- Te Gagana Tokelau/Tokelau: 2,406
- Fäeag Rotuạm Ta/Rotuma: 369
- Papua Niugini Tok Pisin/Papua New Guinea: 354
- Solomon Aelan Pijin/Solomon Islands: 330
- Canterbury totals:
- Gagana Samoa/Samoa: 6,576
- Lea Faka-Tonga/Tonga:1,407
- Vosa VakaViti/Fiji: 879
- Te Reo Māori Kūki 'Airani/Cook Islands: 318
- Vagahau Niue/Niue: 54
- Te Gana Tuvalu/Tuvalu: 51
- Te Taetae ni Kiribati/Kiribati: 129
- Te Gagana Tokelau/Tokelau: 42
- Fäeag Rotuạm Ta/Rotuma: 15
- Papua Niugini Tok Pisin/Papua New Guinea: 48
- Solomon Aelan Pijin/Solomon Islands: 45
Gagana Samoan is the most widely spoken Pacific language in New Zealand. In Canterbury, Gagana Samoan is spoken by 68.8% of those who speak a Pacific language (compared to 62.0% nationally).
Our population
- 12,381 people in the Canterbury region identify as a Pacific ethnicity and are under the age of 25.
- And, 221,913 people in New Zealand identify as a Pacific ethnicity and are under the age of 25.
- Of all the Pacific People under 25 in New Zealand, 5.67% of them live in the Canterbury region.
People of another gender
- 63 people of another gender in the Canterbury region, under 25, identify as a Pacific ethnicity.
- 801 people of another gender in New Zealand, that are under 25 and identify as a Pacific ethnicity.
- Of all pacific people living in New Zealand, that are under 25 and identify as another gender, 7.9% live in Canterbury.
LGBTIQ+ people
- 10,116 Pacific Peoples of all ages identified as MVPFAFF+* or LGBTIQ+ in New Zealand.
* Māhū, Vaka sa lewa lewa, Palopa, Fa'afafine, Akava'ine, Fakaleiti or Leiti and Fakafifine.
Our education
The number of Pacific People over 15-years-old by the qualification they have.
Bachelor degree and Level 7 qualification or higher
- New Zealand
- Male: 11,247
- Female: 20,922
- Other gender: 174
- Total: 32,343
- Canterbury region
- Male: 648
- Female: 1,005
- Other gender: 9
- Total: 1,622
Up to Level 6 diploma
- New Zealand
- Male: 82,317
- Female: 84,756
- Other gender: 660
- Total: 167,733
- Canterbury region
- Male: 4,704
- Female: 4,215
- Other gender: 51
- Total: 8,970
In Canterbury, 1,622 Pacific Peoples have a qualification that is Level 7 or higher. Of these, 60.6% are female and 39.1% are male. Nationally, 64.7% of Pacific Peoples with a qualification that is Level 7 or higher are female and 34.8% are male.
Data sources
This infographic was developed using data from the Stats NZ 2023 Census.
