Pacific mobility in New Zealand

Regional migration

Between 2001 and 2006, 48 percent of the Pacific population who had been living in New Zealand in 2001 had not moved and a further 43 percent moved within the same region council area. Inter-regional movers accounted for 9 percent of the Pacific population.

Auckland region dominated because of the portion of the Pacific population living in that region (67 percent). Between 2001 and 2006, 52 percent of the Pacific population in Auckland who had been in New Zealand in 2001 had not moved and a further 44 percent moved within the region. Although the exchange of Pacific people between Auckland and other regions was largest for Auckland, Auckland lost only 3 percent of this population to other regions. Movers into Auckland region contributed five percent of the region's Pacific population aged 5 years and older who had not been overseas in 2001.

Figure 6

Mobility within Auckland region

Mobility within Auckland region has contributed strongly to the level and nature of internal migration among people of Pacific ethnicities. Manukau and Auckland Cities had the highest proportion of non-movers among their Pacific populations. Manukau City is home to the majority of the Auckland Pacific population and is the preferred location for many, as shown by the low proportion of people who chose to move out of the territorial authority (TA) and the large proportion of movers who chose to remain in the TA. Manakau City also drew substantial numbers of internal migrants from other TAs within Auckland. Auckland City had the highest proportion of Pacific non-movers and was the only TA in the region to lose more to other TAs in the region than it gained.

Figure 7

Figure 8

Urban-rural exchange of people

The vast majority (87 percent) of Pacific internal migrants who moved between 2001 and 2006 moved within or between main urban areas. The remaining 13 percent, approximately a third of whom are of both Māori and Pacific ethnicities, involved the exchange of people between the various urban and rural area types. The main urban areas gained more internal migrants than they lost to other area types. The majority of the net gain to main urban areas was from population moving between main urban and minor urban areas. This contrasts with small net losses to other area types. However, in general the size of the outflows is very similar to the size of the inflows.

Figure 9

Main urban areas exchanged people of Pacific ethnicities with all other area types, resulting in an overall net gain to the main urban areas. The significance of the exchange of people between area types becomes clear when we consider the source of internal migrants for each area type. Pacific movers into main urban areas came from minor urban and rural areas, which is also the case for Māori movers. However, unlike Māori, secondary urban areas contributed a similar number of Pacific people to main urban areas. Outflows from main urban areas also differed from Māori in that Pacific movers contributed almost equal numbers to secondary urban, minor urban and rural areas.

Figure 10

Gains from overseas

International migration has a significant relationship with internal migration. People who migrate or return to New Zealand tend to settle initially in the major centres – primarily in Auckland but also in significant numbers in Christchurch and Hamilton. Many subsequently move, contributing to internal migration patterns. Similarly, other people may choose to move to another country rather than to another part of New Zealand.

Pacific people are highly urbanised and new migrants and people returning from overseas tend to settle in main urban areas. This explains the higher proportion of the Pacific population in main urban areas which had been overseas five years ago in 2006, compared with other area types.

Table 7

 

Auckland is the key point of entry for the majority of people arriving in or returning to New Zealand. Auckland region, in 2006, accounted for 68 percent of people of Pacific ethnicities who had been living overseas five years ago. Wellington region was the next most popular region with 12 percent of this group living in that region.

The age distribution of those who were overseas five years ago who were living in the Auckland territorial authorities shows quite distinct location preferences. Manukau City attracted more people of Pacific ethnicities in all age groups than other areas. The relationship between the 5–14 years ago group and the 30–49 years age group suggests that family migration was very important in Manukau and Waitakere Cities, with a bias towards student and young working adults in Auckland City.

Figure 11

Information sources

1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006 Censuses of Population and Dwellings

Glossary

Please refer to Glossary.

Further information

This page is part of a web-based analytical report by Statistics New Zealand.
The report includes more than 10 topics. To see the other topics, go to the Internal Migration report introduction page.