Pacific peoples are a youthful population group
The median age of Pacific peoples in 2006 was 21.1 years, which is considerably lower than the median age of the New Zealand population overall (35.9 years). Median age means half are younger, and half are older, than this age.
The median age for each of the seven largest Pacific groups was:
- Tongan 18.6 years.
- Tokelauan 18.7 years.
- Cook Islands Maori 18.9 years .
- Niuean 19.6 years.
- Tuvaluan 19.7 years.
- Samoan 20.9 years.
- Fijian 24.2 years.
Thirty-eight percent of Pacific peoples (100,344 people) were aged under 15 years in 2006, down slightly from 39 percent in 2001. This was much higher than for the New Zealand population overall (22 percent).
The number of Pacific peoples aged 65 and over has been increasing:
- In 1996 there were 5,871 people.
- In 2001 there were 7,632 people.
- In 2006 there were 10,083 people.
In 2006, those aged 65 and over made up 4 percent of Pacific peoples, up from 3 percent in 1996. This is much lower than for the overall New Zealand population, of whom 12 percent were aged 65 and over in 2006.