Pacific homeownership falls as housing crisis, economic disparities persist – Census

The latest data release from the 2023 Census highlights ongoing trends for Pacific people in New Zealand, who remain one of the fastest-growing populations, a Stats NZ principal adviser says.

Dr Rosemary Goodyear says affordability continues to be a significant barrier to homeownership, particularly in Auckland.

Goodyear says the Pacific population has increased by 16 per cent compared to the general population, likely due to higher birth rates and migration.

“We know that Pacific people, Pacific women have a higher average fertility rate.”

A growing and young population

The 2023 Census reveals that the current Pacific population stands at 442,632.

This demographic is notably younger, with a median age of 24.9 years, compared to 38.1 years for the total New Zealand population.

The data shows that 30.7 per cent of ‘Pacific Peoples’ are under 15 years old, while only 18.7 per cent of the general population falls into that age group.

In contrast, just 5.9 per cent of ‘Pacific Peoples’ are aged 65 or older, compared to 16.6 per cent nationally.

Dr Rosemary Goodyear. Photo/Supplied

Family and household composition

Pacific households tend to be multi-generational and accommodate multiple families.

While 72.3 per cent of Pacific households contain a single family, 18.2 per cent comprise two families, and three per cent include three or more families, figures higher than the national averages.

Only 2.5 per cent of ‘Pacific Peoples’ live alone, compared to 8.5 per cent of the general population.

Families are central to Pacific communities, with 62 per cent made up of couples with children, higher than the national average of 56.2 per cent.

One-parent families are also more common among ‘Pacific Peoples’, making up 27.8 per cent compared to a national rate of 15.1 per cent.

Comparisons from Census 2023 to Census 2018 data shows that the proportion of speakers of Pacific languages in Aotearoa has declined across the board. Photo/MPP

Birth rates and life expectancy

The birth rates within the Pacific community continue to surpass the national average.

The number of Pacific births in 2024 is projected to be 10,071, an increase from 9759 in 2023.

But life expectancy remains a concern, with Pacific men expected to live 75.4 years and Pacific women 79 years, which is below the national average of 80 years for men and 83.5 years for women.

Education and employment gaps

Education poses a key challenge for ‘Pacific Peoples’. The census reveals that 22 per cent of them have no qualifications, compared to 15.7 per cent of the total population.

While a higher percentage of Pacific students leave school with Level 3 qualifications (20.5 per cent), only 8.1 per cent attain Level 4 or higher.

Economic and housing realities

Economic disparities persist in Pacific communities, with median incomes falling below the national average.

The median income for Pacific workers aged 30-64 is $49,100 in 2023, significantly lower than the national median of $57,900.

Meanwhile, young Pacific workers aged 15 to 29 earn a median of $22,100, compared to $25,000 nationally.

Homeownership presents a considerable challenge, with only 16.8 per cent of ‘Pacific Peoples’ owning their homes, in contrast to 42.1 per cent nationally.

A majority, 80.1 per cent, of Pacific households rent their homes, which Goodyear says is not surprising.

“We know that home ownership rates have been kind of consistently lower for Pacific people,” she says, adding that the issue is partly due to high housing costs in major cities like Auckland.

By asking everyone to complete a set of questions about themselves and their household, Stats NZ captures a snapshot of who is living in and visiting New Zealand. Photo/Census 2023

Homes that are not owned are more likely to suffer from dampness and mould, with 8.6 per cent of Pacific households reporting dampness issues and 11.9 per cent experiencing frequent mould problems. Both rates are much higher than the national averages.

Language and cultural identity

‘Pacific Peoples’ maintain strong linguistic and cultural ties. Sāmoan remains the third most spoken Pacific language, with 24.1 per cent of ‘Pacific Peoples’ able to speak it.

Additionally, 5 per cent of ‘Pacific Peoples’ speak te reo Māori, reflecting an increase from 4.4 per cent in 2018. A notable 36.1 per cent of ‘Pacific Peoples’ are multilingual, compared to 18.1 per cent of the national population.

Goodyear says Sāmoan is the third most spoken language in New Zealand, with over 110,000 speakers. Nearly half of the Sāmoans can converse in their language, reinforcing the importance of language retention.

Religious affiliation remains strong among ‘Pacific Peoples’, with 61.9 per cent identifying as Christian, compared to 32.3 per cent of the total population.

However, the number of ‘Pacific Peoples’ reporting “no religion” has risen to 27 per cent.

The New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings is a quinquennial national population and housing census conducted by Statistics New Zealand, a government department, every five years. Photo/PMN News/Ala Vailala

Gender and sexuality

The 2023 Census marks the first time official data on rainbow and LGBTIQ+ identities has been recorded.

For ‘Pacific Peoples’, the data shows that 0.4 per cent identify as another gender, 0.8 per cent identify as transgender, and 3.2 per cent identify as homosexual, bisexual, or with a sexual identity not elsewhere classified.

These figures are slightly lower than the national averages, which show that 0.4 per cent of the total population identify as another gender, 0.7 per cent as transgender, and 4.1 per cent as homosexual, bisexual, or with another diverse sexual identity.

Increased participation from ‘Pacific Peoples’

There was a strong effort to encourage participation from the Pacific community in the previous Census.

Goodyear says the data is crucial for understanding these populations.

“It gives the information that you need to do a business case or to do something that is really meaningful for the Pacific population or just find more information about your particular group and how it's sort of faring in society… The Census is about everybody counting.”