Declining religious affiliation, fertility rates mark cultural shift among Pasifika - report

A recent report from the Ministry of Health reveals major cultural and demographic changes among Pacific people in New Zealand.

This indicates a decline in religious affiliation, falling fertility rates, and ongoing underrepresentation in the health workforce.

The report shows that the proportion of Pacific people identifying with a faith has dropped sharply from 82.5 per cent in 2006 to 65.1 per cent in 2023.

New data from the Ministry of Health’s Tupu Ola Moui: Pacific Health Chart Book 2025 series shows that fertility rates among Pacific women have decreased by 34 per cent since 2008, surpassing the national decline of 24 per cent.

Currently, Pacific fertility rates stand at 62 births per 1000 women, compared to 39.4 among non-Māori, non-Pacific populations.

These findings are part of the Tupu Ola Moui series, which provides updated information on the health of Pacific people in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This edition is the third in the series, following earlier releases in 2004 and 2012.

The data also uncovers a significant underrepresentation of Pacific people in New Zealand’s health workforce.

Despite making up 8.9 per cent of the population, which is projected to grow to 11.2 per cent by 2043, Pacific people account for only 5.3 per cent of health workers. Among them, 61.6 per cent are in lower-paid, non-regulated roles.

The Ministry of Health is the government's lead advisor on health priorities and policy. Photo/Ministry of Health NZ

While the number of Pacific doctors and nurses has grown significantly over the years, specialist areas still lag.

The number of Pacific doctors has tripled over the past two decades, increasing from 131 in 2005 to 522 in 2024. But they still account for just over two per cent of all doctors in New Zealand.

Nearly half of Pacific medical specialists are general practitioners, while many critical specialities, including cardiology, neurosurgery, and dermatology, have few or no Pacific doctors.

Pacific nurses are the largest regulated group, making up 4.5 per cent of all nurses. Their expected growth of 46.2 per cent by 2034 is slightly higher than that of Pacific doctors.

In contrast, Pacific midwives represent 3.3 per cent of the workforce, totalling 111 midwives, despite modest growth.

Pacific nurses made up the largest share of all nurses working in inpatient mental health (10.3%) and youth health (8.8%). Photo/Ministry of Health NZ

On a more positive note, educational trends offer some hope. With increased enrollments in health-related courses, Pacific student achievement rates in secondary and tertiary education have improved.

In 2023, 1300 Pacific students graduated from health-related programmes, with over 46 per cent specialising in nursing.

Yet, significant gaps remain. The University Entrance attainment rate for Pacific students is only 29.8 per cent, significantly behind the 55.9 per cent rate for non-Pacific students.

Language and cultural shifts further complicate the situation. Fewer Pacific youth are becoming bilingual, with only 40.7 per cent able to speak two languages, down from 45.3 per cent in 2006.