Quick facts

Population

The proportion of New Zealand women who identify as belonging to a Pacific ethnicity continues to increase. In 2006, 7 percent of women in New Zealand identified as belonging to a Pacific ethnic group, compared with 5 percent in 1996. While the total New Zealand female population increased by 12 percent between 1996 and 2006, the Pacific women’s population increased by 32 percent.

New Zealand’s Pacific population is more youthful than the national population. The median age of Pacific women in 2006 was 22.1 years, compared with 36.7 years for the total female population. Thirty-six percent of the Pacific female population was aged under 15 years, compared with 21 percent of all women. Four percent of Pacific women were aged 65 years and over, compared with 13 percent of women overall.

In 2006, around half (49 percent) of Pacific women identified as being Samoan, 22 percent as Cook Island Māori, and 19 percent as Tongan.

In 2006, most women who identified as belonging to a Pacific ethnicity (58 percent) were born in New Zealand.

Geographical distribution

Pacific women are more likely to live in urban areas than women overall. In 2006, 98 percent of Pacific women lived in urban areas, compared with 87 percent of the total female population. In particular, the female Pacific population is heavily concentrated in the Auckland region (68 percent in 2006).

Paid work

Pacific women are less likely to be in the labour force than Pacific men. In 2006, 59 percent of Pacific women and 71 percent of Pacific men were in the labour force. Of those, 13 percent of Pacific women were unemployed, compared with 9 percent of Pacific men.

Pacific women are also more likely to be working part-time than Pacific men. In 2006, 26 percent of employed Pacific women were working part-time, compared with 13 percent of employed Pacific men.

Compared with the total female population, in 2006 Pacific women were less likely to be in the labour force (59 percent versus 63 percent), and more likely to be unemployed (13 percent versus 6 percent). Of those who were employed in 2006, a greater proportion of Pacific women were employed full-time than the total female population (73 percent versus 65 percent).

Income

Pacific women’s incomes tend to be less than that of both Pacific men and other women.

In 2006, the median annual income for Pacific women was $17,400, compared with $24,500 for Pacific men, and $19,100 for the total female population.

Education

Pacific women are more likely to have an educational qualification than Pacific men. In 2006, 68 percent of Pacific women had some form of educational qualification, compared with 61 percent of Pacific men. However, Pacific women were less likely to have an educational qualification than women overall, with 75 percent of the total female population having an educational qualification in 2006.

Pacific women are also more likely to have a post school qualification than Pacific men.  In 2006, 24 percent of Pacific women aged 15 years and over had a post school qualification compared with 20 percent of Pacific men aged 15 years and over.  Pacific women were however considerably less likely to have a post school qualification than women overall, with 40 percent of the total female population having a post school qualification in 2006.

Health

Pacific women’s health outcomes differ from those of women overall and Pacific men.

Obesity is a significant health issue for Pacific women. In 2006/07, 64 percent of Pacific women were obese. This compares with 63 percent of Pacific men and 27 percent of the total female population.

Hazardous drinking is a significant issue facing Pacific women. While Pacific women were more likely to be non-drinkers than women overall (51 percent versus 20 percent), those who did drink were more likely to have a hazardous drinking pattern (28 percent versus 13 percent) in 2006/07.

Pacific women are less likely to have ever been diagnosed with a mood disorder than women overall. In 2006/07, 7 percent of Pacific women reported to have ever been diagnosed with a mood disorder, compared with 13 percent of all women. Four percent of Pacific men reported being diagnosed with a mood disorder at some stage.

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Last updated April 2009