Māori language speakers
Definition
The number of Māori who reported in the five-yearly population census
they could hold a conversation about everyday things in the Māori
language (te reo Māori), as a proportion of the Māori population. 76
Relevance
Māori language is a central component of Māori culture, and an
important aspect of participation and identity. It also forms part of
the broader cultural identity and heritage of New Zealand . In
1987, the Māori language was recognised as an official New
Zealand language.
Current level and trends
Almost one-quarter of all Māori (24 percent, or 131,600
people) reported in the 2006 Census they could hold a conversation in
Māori about everyday things. Of the 157,100 people (or 4 percent of the
total New Zealand population) who could speak Māori in 2006, 84
percent were Māori.
The proportion of Māori who were fluent Māori speakers
declined markedly over the last century, particularly following the
rapid urbanisation of the Māori population in the 1950s and 1960s. The
first national Māori language survey in 1973 estimated the proportion
of fluent speakers had fallen to 18 percent. By the 1996 Census, the
proportion of Māori who could hold a conversation in te reo Māori had
risen to 25 percent and was still at that level in 2001. Although
around 1,100 more Māori could speak Māori in 2006 than in 2001, the
Māori population had grown by a greater number (39,000 people) and so
the proportion of Māori language speakers recorded in the census
declined slightly, from 25 percent in 2001 to 24 percent in 2006.
Information is also available from the two surveys on the
health of the Māori language, conducted in 2001 and 2006. These show
that the proportion of Māori aged 15 years and over with some level of
speaking proficiency increased from 42 percent in 2001 to 51 percent in
2006. The increase was greatest at the higher proficiency levels,
particularly among younger adults. In 2006, 14 percent of all Māori
adults could speak Māori "well" or "very well", up from 9 percent in
2001. The proportion of younger adults (those aged 15–24 years and
25–34 years) with a high proficiency more than doubled. The data is not
directly comparable with census data because of differences in the way
the information is collected and because the survey is designed to
measure proficiency in te reo, rather than simply asking whether people
can converse in the language.77
Figure Cl2.1 Proportion of Māori speakers
in the Māori population, by age, 2001 and 2006
Source: Statistics New Zealand, 2001 and 2006
Censuses
Age differences
Older Māori are considerably more likely than younger Māori to
be able to converse about everyday things in Māori. In the 2006 Census,
almost half (49 percent) of Māori aged 65 years and over and more than
one-third (36 percent) of Māori aged 55–64 years reported being able to
converse in the Māori language, compared with less than one-fifth (18
percent) of Māori aged under 15 years.
The decline of te reo speakers recorded in the census between
2001 and 2006 occurred among young and older Māori but was most
pronounced at ages 55–64 years.
Table CI2.1 Proportion (%) of Māori
speakers in the Māori population, by age group and sex, 2001 and 2006
|
Under 15 |
15–24 |
25–44 |
45–54 |
55–64 |
65+ |
Total |
Males |
2001 |
18.9 |
22.9 |
24.5 |
31.7 |
45.2 |
55.3 |
24.6 |
2006 |
17.2 |
21.5 |
23.7 |
28.0 |
37.8 |
49.6 |
23.1 |
Females |
2001 |
21.2 |
26.0 |
23.7 |
29.2 |
42.5 |
53.5 |
25.7 |
2006 |
18.9 |
24.5 |
24.0 |
27.1 |
34.3 |
47.9 |
24.4 |
Total |
2001 |
20.0 |
24.5 |
24.1 |
30.4 |
43.8 |
54.3 |
25.2 |
2006 |
18.1 |
23.0 |
23.9 |
27.5 |
36.0 |
48.7 |
23.7 |
Source: Statistics New Zealand, 2001 and 2006
Censuses
Sex differences
Sex differences in the proportion of Māori language speakers
among Māori were also apparent, with females being slightly more likely
to be able to converse in Māori than males. However, the difference
varied by age. From age 45 years onwards, Māori males were more likely
than Māori females to speak Māori. For those younger than 25 years, a
higher proportion of females than males could speak Māori.
Ethnic differences
After Māori, Pacific peoples had the highest proportion who
could speak Māori (4 percent), followed by Europeans (1.6 percent),
Other ethnic group (1.1 percent) and Asians (0.5 percent).78 In
contrast to Māori, the ability to speak te reo Māori was higher at
younger ages than at older ages in these ethnic groups.
Regional differences
Māori who live in areas with a high proportion of Māori
residents are the most likely to be Māori language speakers. In 2006,
the regions with the highest proportions of people with conversational
Māori skills were Gisborne (32 percent), the Bay of Plenty (31
percent), Northland (28 percent), and Waikato and Hawke’s Bay (each 26
percent).
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