Te Reo - Speakers of te reo 1996 to 2006 (Sustainable Development Report, Stats NZ)

Speakers of te reo Māori

 The proportion of Māori able to hold an everyday conversation in the Māori language decreased slightly between 1996 and 2006.

Language is intrinsic to expressing and sustaining culture as a means of communicating values, beliefs, and customs. As the indigenous culture of New Zealand, Māori culture is unique to New Zealand and forms a fundamental part of the national identity. Māori language is central to Māori culture and an important aspect of cultural participation and identity.

• Between 1996 and 2006, the proportion of the Māori population able to converse in Māori decreased from 25.0 percent to 23.7 percent.
• Although in 2006 there were a larger number of Māori speakers in younger age groups, the proportion of speakers in older age groups was much higher.
• This indicator is unchanged from the 2009 report as it uses information from the five-yearly New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings.