Executive Summary

The ethnic composition of Pasifika tertiary education students

Tertiary education students who identified themselves as Samoan formed the biggest Pasifika ethnicity in 2006.  There were 12,200 enrolments made by Samoans in 2006.  Of the population aged 15 years and over, 2.6 percent (81,100 people) identified themselves as Samoan in 2006.

Students who identified themselves as Cook Islander accounted for 21 percent of total Pasifika students in 2006.  There were 5,650 enrolments made by Cook Islanders in 2006.  There were 34,400 Cook Islanders aged 15 years and over in New Zealand in 2006.

Sixteen percent of tertiary education students identified themselves as Tongan in 2006.  There were 4,250 enrolments made by Tongans in 2006.  Of the population aged 15 years and over, 29,200 identified themselves as Tongan in 2006.

Eleven percent of tertiary education students identified themselves as Fijian in 2006.  There were 2,950 enrolments made by Fijians in 2006.  Of the population aged 15 years and over, 6,700 identified themselves as Fijian in 2006.

Seven percent of tertiary education students identified themselves as Niuean in 2006.  There were 1,960 enrolments made by Niueans in 2006.  Of the population aged 15 years and over, 13,600 identified themselves as Niuean in 2006.

Three percent of tertiary education students identified themselves as Tokelauans in 2006.  There were 705 enrolments made by Tokelauans in 2006.  Of the population aged 15 years and over, 3,950 identified themselves as Tokelauan in 2006.

Another thousand tertiary education enrolments were made by students who identified themselves with Other Pasifika ethnicities.

Figure 1: Students in bachelors-level study by ethnicity

RHS = right-hand side of graph

LHS = left-hand side of graph