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Less people can speak Maori in New Zealand although ethnic group is increasing

Almost 15% of New Zealanders declare Maori ethnicity · Language is only spoken by 3.7% of the islands' population, and is in minority position even within own ethnic group · Maori personal income well below New Zealand average

Knowledge of the Maori language in New Zealand continues to recede, although the number of New Zealanders who belong to the Maori ethnic group is growing. That is, the percentage of Maoris who speak their own group's language is going down, a trend that is already threatening its position as the second most widely spoken language in New Zealand. These are findings from the latest New Zealand census, released yesterday.

The Maori ethnic group now reaches almost a figure of 600,000 people, which puts it at 14.9% of the New Zealand total population. This is an increase of 0.3% from the 2006 census. Europeans remain the first ethnic group in New Zealand, with 74% of the population. Asians (11.8%) and Pacific peoples (7.4%) come behind the Maori ethnic group.

But the increase in the figures of the Maori ethnic group is not accompanied by a parallel increase in the knowledge of the language. Now there are 148,000 New Zealanders (3.7%) who can speak Maori. 125,000 of them are ethnic Maoris. In 2006, 157,000 New Zealanders (4.1%) were able to speak it. 131,000 of them were ethnic Maoris.

If current trends are maintained, beyond 2020 Maoris will be outnumbered by Asians as New Zealand's the second largest ethnic group. And at the same time, Maori will also stop being the second most spoken language in the country. Samoan, which now ranks third, is gradually growing and now has 86,000 speakers. But the language that ranks fourth -Hindi- is the fastest growing one: it now has 66,000 speakers, three times more than 12 years ago. Needless to say that the first position is always occupied by English.

Maori personal income below New Zealand average

Census data also reveal that Maoris have on average less income than the New Zealand average, and what is more, the gap is widening. The census only takes into consideration those people aged 15 or older: the Maori have an annual personal income of 22,500 New Zealand dollars. The national average is 28,500, which means a gap of 6,000 dollars. Seven years ago, the gap was narrower: 3,500 dollars.

(Image: a sign in a Maori immersion school / picture by Tom Law.)