Population trends change
New Zealand has more working-age people and pensioners but fewer schoolchildren than in 1976, according to the Statistics Department.
Figures released from a 10 per cent population sample of the 1981 census showed that the number of workingage people from 15 to 59 years had risen from 57.3 per cent to 59.1 per cent of the population since 1976. The number of over-60s had also increased from 13 per cent to 14.1 per cent. Falling birth-rates and migration losses have led to a drop in the number of children from 29.7 per cent to 26.8 per cent of the population in the last five years. Pacific Islanders and Polynesians are the fastest growing ethnic group, more than doubling their numbers in the last five years. The European population showed the smallest increase (0.9 per cent) and the total number of European residents has declined from 88.1 per cent in 1976 to 86.8 per cent of the population this year.
Persons of Maori descent totalled 385,210, but the biggest change was the number of adults. The number of Maori descendants aged 18 years and over increased by 19.5 per cent to just under half of the total number.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19811118.2.89
Bibliographic details
Press, 18 November 1981, Page 18
Word Count
200Population trends change Press, 18 November 1981, Page 18
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.