Pacific Peoples in NZ

Key Statistics and Trends

Region	Population	Population %
Northland	3,702	1.4
Auckland	177,936	66.9
Waikato	11,796	4.4
Bay of Plenty	6,465	2.4
Gisborne	1,299	0.5
Hawke's Bay	5,265	2.0
Taranaki	1,368	0.5
Manawatu-Wanganui	5,892	2.2
Wellington	34,752	13.1
West Coast	282	0.1
Canterbury	10,926	4.1
Otago	3,141	1.2
Southland	1,461	0.5
Tasman	336	0.1
Nelson	711	0.3
Marlborough	642	0.2
Area Outside	6	0.0
Total	265,974	6.6

Pacific Peoples Employment Levels

Statistic

Value

Year

Population growth rate:

2.9%

(2001-2006)

Medium Annual Income:

$14,800 (NZ-$18,500)

$20,500 (NZ-$24,400)

(2001)

(2006)

Population in Hardship:

49%

54%

(Highest amongst all ethnic groups in NZ)

(2000)

(2004)

Population in Severe Hardship:

15%

27%

(2000)

(2004)

Working population:

85,800

99,900

(2001)

(2006)

Unemployment rate

9.6% (NZ-7.0%)

5.1% (NZ-3.6%)

(2001)

(2006)

Average wage:

$13.10

($16.38 – NZ)

$16.38

($20.04 – NZ)

(2001)

(2006)

Owning own House:

26% (NZ – 55%)

32% (NZ – 68%)

(2001)

(2006)

Skill Employment

2001

(‘000)

2006

(‘000)

Change (‘000)

Change (%)

Economy wide

Change (%)

High-skilled occupations

Skilled occupations

Semi-skilled occupations

Low-skilled occupations

10.8

14.1

40.5

11.8

12.9

15.7

49.6

14.4

2.1

1.6

9.1

2.6

19.7

11.5

22.5

22.0

21.9

17.0

9.8

2.4

Social Economic Development

Pacific people have been migrating to New Zealand for many years in search of a better future. While some have done well, the quality of life for most of them has deteriorated. This trend is impacting on national goals such as raising the economic development potential of New Zealand and sustaining economic growth rates into the future.

Pacific economic development in New Zealand has intrigued policy makers and rekindled the “Pacific Paradox” phenomenon: a situation where an economy has favourable levels of natural and human resources, relatively high levels of public investment and aid, and reasonably prudent economic management policies, but continues to have low and volatile economic growth performances.

Despite New Zealand’s strong economic performance in recent decades, Pacific people living here continue to lag behind other New Zealanders on many fronts. The Economic Living Standards Index confirmed that more Pacific people are meeting the criteria for ‘severe hardship’, despite the gains available to all New Zealanders from the country’s economic prosperity.

The inability of Pacific people to realise the benefits of economic growth can be attributed to many factors. Some of these constraints are structurally rooted in Pacific cultures and traditions whose ethical requirements are often regarded as ‘externalities’ to mainstream economic development models. Cultural obligations complicate the design of development policies, but unless they are embedded into policy design we should expect continuing failures in raising Pacific peoples’ living standards, relative to the national average.

The lack of understanding by policy makers of Pacific people has led to policy failures, often because of poor design and/or implementation. New Zealand has abundant resources, political will and support for equitable development hence it is fair to assert that the lack of capital and poorly designed policies are not the only constraining factors for Pacific peoples’ development. The lack of appropriate institutions, incentives and governance arrangements to mobilise, acquire and accumulate the social, human and physical capital necessary to make government policies effective for Pacific peoples, as well as the inclusion of Pacific peoples’ views in the design of policies and development programmes, can equally be blamed.

Options for Government and Pacific Peoples

The Facts

Pacific peoples’ real per capita income will continue to deteriorate as long as the rate at which its population is growing (currently 3%) is higher than the rate at which their real income increases annually (currently 1.9%)

Immediate Policy Options

Halt Pacific peoples from sliding further into hardship and severe hardship

Urgently increase Pacific peoples’ income by way of successful entrepreneurship and up skilling to attain higher paid occupations

Pacific Values common to all Pacific cultures underpinning
Pacific EDAs' approach and work

respect – recognise traditional protocols and governance systems unique to different ethnic communities; practice cultural sensitivity; consult/work with community leadership; the importance of working with Tangata Whenua; and respecting peoples’ differences and human dignity and rights.

reciprocity – enhancing Pacific peoples’ contribution to (and benefit from) local, regional and national economic development as well as maximising the effectiveness of economic policies and development programmes for Pacific peoples.

relationships – recognise Pacific peoples extended kinship living modes, their obligations to family-based priorities such as to their extended families, social groups, communities, church, Tangata Whenua, and to their island governments in the Pacific region.