More people with qualifications
The proportion of people aged 15 years and over who have a qualification has increased since the 1996 Census:
- In 1996 it was 62 percent
- In 2001 it was 72 percent
- In 2006 it was 75 percent.
Both men and women more qualified
Since the 1996 Census there has been a significant increase in the proportion of both men and women aged 15 years and over who hold a qualification:
- In 2006, 75 percent of men had a qualification, compared with 72 percent in 2001 and 63 percent in 1996
- In 2006, 75 percent of women had a qualification, compared with 73 percent in 2001 and 61 percent in 1996.
Age and qualifications
There has been a rise in the proportion of people with a qualification across all age groups since the 1996 Census.
People aged 20 to 34 years were most likely to have a qualification:
- 75 percent in 1996
- 86 percent in 2006.
Qualifications and ethnic groups
The ethnic groups with the highest proportion of people with a qualification in 2006 were:
- The Asian ethnic group (88 percent)
- The Middle Eastern/Latin American/African ethnic group (86 percent)
- The European ethnic group (75 percent).
Regional difference in qualifications
In 2006, the three regions with the highest proportion of people with a qualification were Auckland and Wellington (both 80 percent) and Otago (76 percent). The three regions with the lowest proportion were Southland and West Coast (both 64 percent) and Gisborne (66 percent).