Kōrero: History of immigration

Move the mouse over the lines on the graph to see the population figures. Click on a region of birth in the key to remove that line from the graph; click on the region again to restore it.

In 1987 a new immigration act changed the requirements for foreigners seeking long-term entry to New Zealand. From that date they were based on skills, not ethnicity. The introduction of a points system in 1991 strengthened the skills criterion. Subsequently there was a dramatic increase in the numbers of immigrants from non-British countries. This graph shows the numbers of foreign-born people recorded by successive censuses. It excludes those born in Britain or Ireland. The rise in the number of Asian-born people is especially clear.