Story: Te Tau Ihu tribes

Page 7. Facts and figures

All images & media in this story

Iwi (tribal) identification

In the New Zealand censuses since 1991, residents of Māori descent were asked to indicate the tribe to which they were affiliated. The figures below show the number who indicated the tribes of Te Tau Ihu (including those who indicated more than one tribe), and the regions where they were found in the greatest numbers in 2013.

Note that the figures below only refer to the number of people from the tribes listed who were resident in the Te Tau Ihu region at the time of the census.  

Ngāti Apa

  • 2001 census: 375
  • 2006 census: 741
  • 2013 census: 843

Major regional locations

  • Manawatū–Wanganui: 171
  • Canterbury: 150
  • Marlborough: 117

Ngāti Koata

  • 1991 census: 390
  • 2001 census: 765
  • 2006 census: 1,062
  • 2013 census: 1,341

Major regional locations

  • Waikato: 270
  • Wellington: 261

Ngāti Kuia

  • 1991 census: 522
  • 2001 census: 1,224
  • 2006 census: 1,551
  • 2013 census: 1,794

Major regional locations

  • Nelson: 315
  • Marlborough: 261

Ngāti Rārua

  • 1991 census: 312
  • 2001 census: 699
  • 2006 census: 954
  • 2013 census: 981

Major regional locations

  • Marlborough: 228

Ngāti Tama

  • 2001 census: 393
  • 2006 census: 381
  • 2013 census: 375

Major regional locations

  • Wellington: 93

Ngāti Toarangatira

  • 1991 census: 24
  • 2001 census: 138
  • 2006 census: 180
  • 2013 census: 321

Major regional locations

  • Wellington: 54

Rangitāne

  • 1991 census: 54
  • 2001 census: 756
  • 2006 census: 966
  • 2013 census: 1,218

Major regional locations

  • Marlborough: 282
  • Canterbury: 219

Te Āti Awa

  • 1991 census: 9
  • 2001 census: 1,377
  • 2006 census: 2,433
  • 2013 census: 2,013

Major regional locations

  • Wellington: 408
  • Marlborough: 366
How to cite this page:

Hilary Mitchell and John Mitchell, 'Te Tau Ihu tribes - Facts and figures', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/te-tau-ihu-tribes/page-7 (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Hilary Mitchell and John Mitchell, published 8 Feb 2005, updated 1 Mar 2017