The Times of India SATURDAY, MARCH 02, 2002
Asians set to outnumber indigenous Maori in 12 yrs AFP WELLINGTON: Asians could outnumber indigenous Maori New Zealanders in little more than a decade, population statistics showed on Saturday. Asians now outnumber Pacific Islanders in New Zealand and, if their increase continues at the current rate, they are likely to outnumber Maoris within about 12 years, Wellington's Dominion newspaper claimed. A Statistics New Zealand analysis from last year's census figures, shows that nearly 240,000 New Zealanders -- one in 15 -- are of Asian origin. Just over 230,000 are of Pacific Island ethnicity. The count shows that Asian numbers have risen by 141 per cent since the 1991 census, while Pacific Islander numbers increased by 39 per cent. At the same time, people of European ethnicity declined from 83 percent of the total in 1991 to 80 per cent in 2001. Maoris make up the second biggest total -- 526,281. If the increases continue at the present rate, in 10 years there will be 578,400 Asians and 636,800 Maoris. Auckland -- the country's largest city where 1.8 million of 3.8 million New Zealanders live -- had the most cosmopolitan population. Two-thirds of Asians and Pacific Islanders live in Auckland, where one in eight people are of Asian ethnicity and one in eight of Pacific Island ethnicity. Maori Council executive chairman Maanu Paul said Friday that he was disturbed at a trend that demonstrated failures by both Labour and National to develop a fair immigration policy. People had been brought in only with money in mind, he said. "They've come in, dropped their families in, brought in all the economic benefits then promptly taken them out again. But their families have stayed here and multiplied," he told the Dominion. Victoria University international marketing manager Tim Beal said that "New Zealand was not seen as a good place to make money and people from places like China and Korea were more interested in good education for their children." Copyright © 2001 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.
