Pacific Profiles: 2006

Tongan people in New Zealand.

 
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Introduction

Tongan People in New Zealand is one of seven profiles on Pacific peoples based on the results from the 2006 Census. The subject population for this profile is the usually resident New Zealand population of Tongans at the time of the 2006 Census.

Tongans are defined as those who specified Tongan as a response to the ethnicity question. Where appropriate, comparisons are made between Tongans born in New Zealand and those born overseas, as well as with the total Pacific and total New Zealand usually resident populations.

Time series information is provided using previous census data. This has not been possible for all topics because changes in the way that some of the data is collected means it cannot always be easily compared across time.

Highlights

  • In 2006, Tongans were the third largest Pacific ethnic group in New Zealand, making up 50,478 or 19 percent of New Zealand's Pacific population (265,974).
  • ‘I he 2006, na‘e hoko ‘a e kakai Tonga´ ko e matakali fika tolu lahi taha mei´ he Pasifiki´ ‘i Nu‘u Sila´ ni´, ‘a ia ko e toko 50,478 pë ko e pëseti ‘e 19 ‘o e fakakätoa e kakai Pasifiki ‘i Nu‘u Sila´ ni (265,974).
  • The Tongan population increased by 24 percent (9,763) between 2001 and 2006.
  • Ko e kakai Tonga´ kuo nau tokolahi ange ‘aki ha pëseti ‘e 24 (9,763) mei´ he vaha‘ataimi ‘o e 2001 ki he 2006.
  • The median age of the Tongan population (half are younger and half are older than this age) was 19 years. By comparison, the median ages for the total Pacific and total New Zealand populations were 21 years and 36 years, respectively.
  • Ko e vaha‘a ta‘u motu‘a lotoloto´ (ko e vaeua ‘o e kakai Tonga´ ‘oku nau si‘i hifo he ta‘u motu‘a ko eni´ pea vaeua ‘oku nau ‘i ‘olunga ‘i he vaha‘a ta‘u motu‘a ko eni´) ko e ta‘u 19. ‘I hono fakahoa atu ki he vaha‘a ta‘umotu‘a lotoloto ‘o e Kakai Pasifiki´ fakakätoa pea mo Nu‘u Sila´ ni fakakätoa´, ‘oku ‘i he ta‘u 21 mo e 36 ‘a e fakahokohoko´.
  • Tongans born in New Zealand account for 56 percent (27,693) of the total Tongan population.
  • Ko e pëseti ‘e 56 ‘o e fakakätoa e kakai Tonga ‘i Nu‘u Sila´ ni´ ko e fä‘ele‘i pë kinautolu ‘i Nu‘u Sila´ ni (27,693).
  • 61 percent (28,186) of Tongan people are able to hold an everyday conversation in Tongan. This is a 1 percentage point increase since 2001.
  • Ko e pëseti ‘e 61, (28,186) ‘o e Kakai Tonga´ ‘oku nau lava ke talanoa femahino‘aki faka‘aho ‘i he lea faka-Tonga´. Ko e hiki hake ‘aki eni ha pëseti ‘e 1 talu mei´ he 2001.
  • 90 percent (42,813) of Tongan people affiliated with a religion. Of those Tongans who affiliated with a religion, 98 percent (41,988) were affiliated with a Christian religion.
  • Ko e pëseti ‘e 90, (42,813) ‘o e Kakai Tonga´ ‘oku nau kau atu ki ha fa‘ahinga Lotu. ‘I he fakakätoa ‘o e Kakai Tonga ‘oku nau kau atu ki ha fa‘ahinga Lotu´, ko e pëseti ai ‘e 98 (41,988) ‘o kinautolu´ ni ‘oku nau kau atu ki ha Lotu faka-Kalisitiane. 
  • 64 percent (16,041) of Tongan adults have a formal educational qualification (secondary school or post-school qualification). The comparable figures for the total Pacific and New Zealand populations are 65 percent and 75 percent, respectively.
  • Ko e pëseti ‘e 64, (16,041) ‘o e Kakai Tonga´ ‘oku ‘i ai ha‘anau tu‘unga fakaako fakalao (lava ‘i he sivi mei´ he kolisi´ pë ko ha tu‘unga fakaako hili ‘a e kolisi´). Ko hono fakahoa atu e ngaahi fika´ ki he fakakätoa ‘o e Kakai mei he Pasifiki´ pea mo Nu‘u Sila´ ni´ ‘oku ‘i ai ha‘anau tu‘unga fakaako fakalao´, ko e pëseti ‘e 65 pea mo e pëseti ‘e 75 e fakahokohoko´.
  • 80 percent (40,140) of the Tongan population live in the Auckland region, which is the same proportion as in 2001.
  • Ko e pëseti ‘e 80, (40,140) ‘o e tokolahi ‘o e Kakai Tonga´ ‘oku nau nofo ‘i he vähenga ‘Okalani´, pea ‘oku ‘ikai ha liliu mei he fika na‘e ‘i ai ‘i he ta‘u 2001.
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