Te Reo - Use of Te Reo Maori 1996 (Census)

Use of te reo Mäori

Over the last decade, education initiatives have been developed by Mäori, for Mäori, in order to improve outcomes for Mäori. The importance of te reo Mäori has stimulated the growth of kohanga reo, Mäori-medium classes and immersion schools.

The 1996 Census asked the question "In which language(s) could you have a conversation about a lot of everyday things?" Just over 26 percent of Mäori said they could have such a conversation in Mäori.

The figure below shows that the proportion of Mäori speakers increases with age, with the most significant increase occurring between the ages of 40 and 60 years. Mäori aged 65 and over were the group most likely to be able to speak Mäori, with 54.1 percent indicating they could do so. Older Mäori are possibly more likely to speak Mäori because they were brought up in an era when the Mäori language was used more widely than today and before large scale urbanisation weakened links with traditional Mäori settings.

The proportion of Mäori speakers was lowest amongst 20-39-year-olds. Differences between the sexes were also evident. Females aged under 20 years were more likely than males to speak Mäori, but the reverse was true for all older age groups (except those aged 30-34 where the proportions are equal).

At all age groups, rural Mäori (those living in areas with a population less than 1,000) were more likely to speak Mäori than their urban counterparts. The gap between urban and rural speakers widened from the age of 50. By the age of 65 and over, 67.4 percent of rural Mäori said they could speak Mäori compared to 49.7 percent of urban Mäori.

For more information you can order NZ Now Maori or Te Kanohi Hou o Aotearoa: Mäori.

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.