Most Māori think their whānau is doing well, according to results May 6th from Statistics New Zealand’s first survey of Māori well-being, Te Kupenga.
Results from the survey showed that 83 percent of Māori said their whānau was doing well. It also showed that 89 percent of Māori knew their iwi and 55 percent of Māori had some ability to speak te reo Māori.
“The survey results will help give an overall picture of the social and cultural well-being of Māori in New Zealand. This information will contribute to a better informed public debate on Māori well-being and identify key areas that need to be addressed,” Te Kupenga project manager Atawhai Tibble said.
While 70 percent of Māori adults nationally said it was important for them to be involved in things to do with Māori culture, the proportion varied regionally. Māori adults in Northland (82 percent) were most likely to say culture was important to them while those in Canterbury (59 percent) were the least likely.
“The most commonly reported modern cultural activity that Māori adults engaged in was watching a Māori television programme, with 75 percent of respondents having done so in the last 12 months,” Mr Tibble said.
The interviews were conducted between June and August last year with over 5,500 people of Māori ancestry aged over 15 from across the country. Statistics NZ would like to acknowledge the support of Te Puni Kōkiri in the development of Te Kupenga.
Further data from the survey will be released over the next 12 months and will include data on economic well-being and a report on te reo Māori.
See the Māori cultural well-being in 2013 poster for a visual representation of the survey’s key findings.
Statistics from survey available through Statistics New Zealand HERE