Iwi Affiliation (Census 96) (1996 Census of Population and Dwellings) - Hot Off The Press
What It's About

Seventy-four percent of all New Zealanders of Maori descent reported that they belonged to at least one iwi or tribe according to the results released today from the 1996 Population Census.

This was only the second time that a question on tribal affiliation had been included in the census in recent times. In 1991, the first time the question was asked, 71 per cent of New Zealanders of Maori descent indicated affiliation with at least one iwi. Prior to 1991, the last time the question was asked was in 1901.

The largest nine iwi accounted for over half of all responses given to the question on iwi affiliation. Each of the nine iwi in this group had a membership in excess of 20,000 at the 1996 Census.

Ngapuhi, based in Northland, increased its membership by 2.7 percent between 1991 and 1996 and remains the largest iwi with 95,451 members.

Two other iwi with populations of more than 40,000 were the Gisborne-based Ngati Porou with 54,219 members and Ngati Kahungunu from the Hawke's Bay/Wairarapa region with 45,261. These two iwi increased their membership by 11.7 percent and 3.8 per cent respectively over the 1991 to 1996 period.

The South Island iwi, Ngai Tahu, recorded the largest absolute increase in total membership between the 1991 and 1996 censuses. The increase of 43.5 percent brought the total number of affiliates for this iwi to 29,133 and resulted in Ngai Tahu becoming the fourth largest iwi nationally, moving up from ninth place in 1991.

Nineteen per cent of people of Maori descent indicated that they did not know the name of their iwi at the 1996 Census. This compares with 22 per cent in 1991.

The figures released today show the number of people in each iwi in 1996 compared with 1991. More detailed statistics on the social and economic characteristics of individual iwi will become available during the next few months. Some of the differences in iwi size between 1991 and 1996 are due to refinements made to the census question and to the coding of responses in light of knowledge gained in 1991. These refinements were made after consultation with iwi and other interested agencies.

Len Cook
GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN
18 April 1997

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Published 18 April 1997