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People who live in New Zealand
are called New Zealanders. New Zealand’s
demographics are characterized by a comparatively
growing and young population and comparatively high
degrees of incoming migration (primarily from the
United Kingdom, Asian countries, and the Pacific
Islands) and outward bound migration (primarily to
the United Kingdom and Australia).
The population’s cultural makeup,
originally made up of indigenous Māori alone, was
overshadowed by settlers from |
Europe for the most part of the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries, until immigration from the Pacific Islands and
Asia, including high birth rates of the Maori, began a
change of this condition to a more multiethnic population.
In the period of time from April 2007 to March 2008, New
Zealand’s total number of births was over 63,000 and the
total number of deaths was over 28,000. The largest number
of births by city was over 22,000 in Auckland, more than
7,000 in Canterbury, over 6,000 in Wellington, and more than
6,000 in Waikato.
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The Census of 2001 came up with the following
numbers: the Christian denominations census figures
disagree widely from the membership numbers claimed
by the churches themselves. In fact, the figures are
substantially lower. For example, some may say that
they are part of a certain denomination but might
not be following the practices of the faith. A large
number of New Zealanders possess a token preference
for a specific sect, but have no significant
relationship with it. It must also be mentioned that
the question of religion is the only non-mandatory
question in the census of New Zealand. A number of
religious denominations such as the Exclusive
Brethren (which is not to be mistaken for the
Brethren in this particular census) apprise their
members not to respond this question. Others, both
non-Christian and Christian, prefer not to respond
this question for several reasons. |
Over half of the population associate with a Christian sect
(approximately 2 million), of which over 500,000 are
Anglican, more than 400,000 are Catholic, and over 400,000
are Presbyterian. These are the largest Christian
denominations in the country.
The most prominent
non-Christian religions are Hindu, Buddhist, Islam/Muslim,
New Age, and Spiritualism religions.
The population of people who have decided not to
enter a religious association is also tallied.
Lately, there has been a growth in individuals whose
religious belief is non-Christian. In the 1996
Census, the population of those practicing Hinduism
has grown by 56%, Buddhism by 48%, Islam by 74%, and
Spiritualism by 64%.
The population of Roman Catholics has grown by
almost 13,000 from the period from 1996 to 2001,
while the other two largest denominations
experienced some decline. Anglicans were down by
almost 47,000 and Presbyterians by almost 39,000.
The population of Anglicans topped that of the other groups
in all regions except in the city of Auckland (wherein
Catholics had the largest denomination), and Southland and
Otago (wherein the Presbyterians were dominant).
In the Census of 1901, the main denominations were the
Anglican Church or Church of England which made up 41% of
the population, 23% were Presbyterian, 14% were Catholic,
and 11% were Methodist.
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