Speakers of te reo Māori

Regional differences

There are significant differences in the proportion of young Māori that can speak te reo in different regions of New Zealand. 

Young Māori who live in regions with a high proportion of Māori residents are the most likely to be Māori speakers.  In 2006, almost a third of Māori aged 12 to 24 in Gisborne Region (31.3 percent) could hold a conversation about everyday things in Māori, compared with just 10.4 percent living in West Coast Region.

Number and proportion of Māori aged 12 to 24 who reported they could hold a conversation in Māori, by region, 2006
  Māori speakers among Māori aged 12 to 24
Number %
Northland Region 2,487 24.7%
Auckland Region 6,408 18.8%
Waikato Region 4,779 25.1%
Bay of Plenty Region 4,572 29.1%
Gisborne Region 1,416 31.3%
Hawke's Bay Region 2,043 25.9%
Taranaki Region 798 20.8%
Manawatu-Wanganui Region 2,703 25.5%
Wellington Region 3,198 23.0%
West Coast Region 75 10.4%
Canterbury Region 1,599 17.0%
Otago Region 630 17.3%
Southland Region 468 17.6%
Tasman Region 117 15.1%
Nelson Region 198 20.8%
Marlborough Region 153 15.6%
Area Outside Region 12 20.0%
New Zealand 31,653 22.8%

Source: Statistics New Zealand, Census.