Story: Class

Ethnic composition, 1991–2013

In the 22 years covered by this graph, there was a striking increase in New Zealand's ethnic diversity. The proportion of people who described themselves as of Asian ethnicity increased from 3% in 1991 to nearly 12% in 2013. Pacific people rose to 7.4%, as did people who described their identity as Middle Eastern, Latin American or African – 1.2% by 2013. The ethnic diversity of the population led social theorists and policy makers to concentrate their efforts upon improving the experience of the different ethnic groups, rather than focusing upon a class analysis of society.

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How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'Class - New groupings', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/graph/29746/ethnic-composition-1991-2013 (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 22 May 2018