The classification criteria is a person’s genealogical descent.
Māori descent is a flat classification with two categories – excluding residual categories. The residual categories are defined in Glossary and references.
The full classification is available in the 'Available Files' section on the main page.
Where tick boxes are used coding will not be necessary except for responses that fall into one of the residual categories.
Following the Census of Population and Dwellings the Government Statistician is required, under the Electoral Act, to supply figures for the review of the General and Māori electorate boundaries. All New Zealand residents must be assigned as either having ‘Māori Descent’ or being of ‘No Māori Descent’. An imputation must be made for all NZ resident, Census of Population and Dwellings respondents, who did not indicate one or other of these two categories.