Pacific Islanders will be 9pc of New Zealanders by 2021

New Zealand's Pacific population is expected to reach 414,000 in 2021.

Statistics New Zealand said yesterday that while the annual growth rate of the Island population was projected to slow from 2.7 per cent last year to 2.2 per cent in 2021, it would still increase faster than the total population because of higher birth rates and more young people.

Pacific people are expected to be 9 per cent of the population by 2021.

Statistics NZ said that although Pacific fertility rates were likely to decline, births were projected to increase from 8000 last year to 10,700 in 2021 because of the increase in the number of Island women of childbearing age.

The number of deaths would also increase, from 900 in 2002 to 1300 in 2021.

By 2021, half the Pacific population would be older than 24, compared with a median age of 21 in 2001 - the total New Zealand population is projected to have a median age of 40 in 2021, up from 35 in 2001.

Within the same 20-year period, the number of Pacific people aged 65 and over would increase to 25,000 from 9000 in 2001.

The Pacific working-age population was projected to increase by 65 per cent from 153,000 in 2001 to 252,000 in 2021.

The number of Island children was projected to rise steadily during the 20-year projection period, increasing by 36,000 to 136,000 in 2021.

Pacific children would make up about 17 per cent of all New Zealand children in 2021, compared with 11 per cent in 2001.

This month Statistics NZ released figures for the Maori population predicting 28 per cent growth by 2021.

NZ's Pacific population

Samoan 115,000

Cook Island Maori 52,600

Tongan 40,700

Niuean 20,100

Fijian 7000

Tokelauan 6200

Tuvaluan 2000



Source: 2001 Census

- NZPA