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Story: Population change

Māori urbanisation, 1926–2006

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Māori urbanisation, 1926–2006

A majority of Māori have lived in urban areas since the early 1960s. Urbanisation was rapid after the Second World War as Māori moved into towns and cities for employment.

Using this item

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Ian Pool, Te iwi Māori. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 1991, pp. 123, 154, 182, 197; Statistics New Zealand

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How to cite this page

Ian Pool and Natalie Jackson, Population change – Māori population change, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/28746/maori-urbanisation-1926-2006 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ian Pool and Natalie Jackson, published 21 April 2011, reviewed and revised 23 August 2018 with assistance from Natalie Jackson.