Increase in Pacific peoples with a post-school qualification
- In 2006, 22 percent of Pacific peoples aged 15 years and over had a post-school qualification, up from 17 percent in 2001.
- There has been a corresponding decrease in those whose highest qualification was a school qualification – from 47 percent in 2001 to 43 percent in 2006.
The proportion of Pacific peoples aged 15 and over who did not have a formal qualification has remained stable, at 36 percent in 2001 and 35 percent in 2006.
In 2006:
- 6,507 people of Pacific ethnicity had bachelor degrees or level seven qualifications.
- 783 people of Pacific ethnicity had post-graduate or honours degrees.
- 753 people of Pacific ethnicity had masters degrees.
- 96 people of Pacific ethnicity had doctorate degrees.
Pacific women were more likely to have formal qualifications than Pacific men.
- 44 percent of women of Pacific ethnicity aged 15 and over had a school qualification compared with 41 percent of men of Pacific ethnicity aged 15 and over.
- 24 percent of women of Pacific ethnicity aged 15 and over had a post-school qualification compared with 20 percent of men of Pacific ethnicity aged 15 and over.
Younger Pacific peoples were more likely to have formal qualifications than those in the older age groups.
- Post-school qualifications were most common for Pacific peoples aged 25 to 29, with 32 percent in this age group having a post-school qualification.
Management and commerce was the most common field of study for those with a post-school qualification, at 24 percent.