Te taupori Hainamana o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland's Asian population

Auckland has always been an ethnically diverse society. For the last 20 years or more changes in migration patterns have contributed to a substantial increase in the numbers of Asian people living in Auckland.

At the 2018 Census, over a quarter (28 per cent) of Auckland residents identified with an Asian ethnicity, a much higher proportion than for New Zealand as a whole at 15 per cent, and higher than recorded at the previous Census (23 per cent in 2013).

The largest sub-group were those who identified as Chinese, followed by those who identified as Indian. This group includes people who have migrated from overseas as well as those born in New Zealand.

The term 'Asian people' is a very broad category. It includes a range of national origins and ethnic identities.

There is no singular definition of the countries that make up 'Asia'. Stats NZ includes a wide range of countries from Georgia in the west to Japan in the east.

Compared to Auckland as a whole, Asian people:

• are younger
• have a higher percentage of people with higher level of education qualifications
• have a lower participation rate in the labour force and slightly higher unemployment rate.

Significant growth in Auckland's Asian population

Over the last two decades, Auckland's Asian population has experienced rapid growth.

In 1991, only 5 per cent of Auckland's residents identified with an Asian ethnicity. This proportion increased to over a quarter (28 per cent) in 2018.

This growth was mainly driven by a rapid increase in immigration, especially in the mid-1990s and then again since 2001.

Auckland's Asian population increased by approximately 135,000 in the period between 2013 (307,233 people) and 2018 (442,674  people).

The table below shows the changes in Auckland's Asian population between 2006 and 2013, by the five largest Asian ethnic groups in Auckland.

While those identifying as Chinese (11 per cent of Auckland's population) and Indian (10 per cent of Auckland's population) remained the largest two Asian sub-groups in 2018, the Filipino group increased significantly between 2013 and 2018 – by 38 per cent to reach 32,850.

There was an increase of 12 per cent in the number of Auckland residents who identified as Korean (from 21,981 in 2013 to 25,038 in 2018).

Changes in five largest Asian groups, Auckland and New Zealand (2013 and 2018)

Auckland:

New Zealand:

Overseas born Asian Aucklanders

Over the last two decades there has been a relatively rapid and sizeable increase in the numbers of Auckland residents born overseas.

As shown in the graph, between 2001 and 2013, while the number of Auckland residents born in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe increased at a steady rate, the number of Asian-born residents increased rapidly.

Data source: Stats NZ censuses 2001-2013

The number of people born in southern Asian countries (e.g. India, Sri Lanka) in 2018 (86,520)  was more than four times that in 2001 (18,867).

This was followed by an increase of 230.9 per cent in migrants born in North-east Asian countries (60,627 in 2001 compared to 140,034 in 2018).

A further breakdown of Auckland's Asian-born population by country of birth shows that the largest number was born in China (96,540 in 2018). The second largest group were those born in India (71,358 in 2018).

As suggested by the rapid growth in the number of people identifying as Filipino in the table above, the number of Auckland residents who were born in the Philippines increased by 162 per cent between 2013 and 2018 (30,237 in 2018).

​Source: Stats NZ censuses 2006-2013

Projected increase in Asian population 

Auckland will experience increasing ethnic diversity in the next few decades. 

Stats NZ's ethnic population projections suggest that much of this will come from substantial growth in the Asian population, compared to the other main ethnic groups.

The number of people in the broad Asian category is projected to increase by 439,900 between 2013 and 2038 to reach 788,800.

Source: Stats NZ, subnational ethnic population projections.

People can identify with more than one ethnicity and the four groups are not mutually exclusive.

Geographic distribution of Asian peoples

Several areas in Auckland have relatively high Asian population densities.

In 2013, areas in Botany Downs and Dannemora had the highest concentration of Auckland's Asian population, with approximately 60 to 80 per cent of the local population identifying as Asian.

The Howick and Henderson-Massey local boards were home to the largest numbers of those of Asian ethnicity at the 2018 Census, with 65,541 and 32,523 residents respectively.

Areas in the southeast, Auckland's city centre, parts of the Auckland isthmus and central parts of the North Shore also had over half of the local population identifying as Asian.

Asian population density - map for Auckland's urban core

Source: Auckland Council; density calculations based on the 2013 Census from Stats NZ

Demographic structure of Auckland's Asian population

The Asian population is youthful, and younger compared to Auckland's total population.

In 2018, the median age among those who identified with an Asian ethnicity was 32.1 years, compared to 34.8 years for Auckland as a whole.

At the 2018 Census, relatively large proportions of Asian males (19.2 per cent) and females (18.3 per cent) in Auckland were between the ages of 15 and 34. This continues the trend seen in the 2013 Census where proportions of Asian males and females between the ages of 15 and 34 were 18.9 per cent and 18.7 per cent respectively. This reflects the significant numbers of international students and people with work visas coming from Asia, as well as those who obtained work permits or permanent residency after completing their tertiary studies.

Education and employment of Asian people

Asian people are over-represented among those with overseas secondary school qualifications and higher level of formal qualifications overall.

The graph below shows that, at the time of the 2018 Census, 17 per cent of Auckland's Asian population stated that their highest education qualification was an overseas secondary school qualification. A third (39 per cent) had Bachelor's degrees or higher (compared to 29 per cent for Auckland as a whole).

The educational attainment of the Asian population also reflects the large inflows of international students from Asia undertaking tertiary studies in Auckland and those settling in Auckland afterwards.

Source: Stats NZ, Census of Population and Dwellings

However, at the 2018 Census Asian people were found to have a lower participation rate in the labour force (68 per cent) and a higher unemployment rate (4 per cent), compared to 70 per cent for labour force participation and 4 per cent for unemployment in Auckland overall at that time.

How the Asian population is expected to grow

People in the broad Asian population are the second largest ethnic group in Auckland.

Auckland has experienced rapid growth in its Asian population over the last two decades, mainly though immigration. This is anticipated to continue, driven by migration as well as increase in the numbers of locally-born.

Medium ethnic population projections by Statistics New Zealand indicate that the number of Asian peoples in Auckland will be substantial. By 2043, Asian peoples may constitute 44 per cent of Auckland's total population.

Such rapid growth will continue to bring vibrancy and diversity to Auckland.

References

Asia New Zealand Foundation. (2015). Asian Auckland: The multiple meanings of diversity (PDF 1.67M).

Auckland Council. (2015). Auckland Profile – Initial results from the 2013 Census. Prepared by Research and Evaluation Unit (RIMU) (PDF 688KB).