--- title: "New Zealand census: Immigration patterns | .id blog" description: While New Zealand communities are constantly changing as a result of people moving around, they are also becoming increasingly diverse due to immigration patterns. image: https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/NZ-focus-C-e1404881096623.jpg --- [![id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png?width=2440&height=881&name=id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png) ![id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png?width=2440&height=881&name=id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png)](https://home.id.com.au) - Services - [Services for Local Government](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government) - [Services for Industry](https://home.id.com.au/industry-services) - [Resources](https://home.id.com.au/demographic-resources) - [Case studies](https://home.id.com.au/case-studies) - [Blog](https://blog.id.com.au/) - [About](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [About .id (informed decisions)](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [Meet our team](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/careers) - [.id scholarship](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/scholarship) - [Contact](https://home.id.com.au/contact-us) [BY INDUSTRY](https://home.id.com.au/#industry-services) - [Local government](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government) - [Financial services](https://home.id.com.au/industries/financial-services) - [Utilities](https://home.id.com.au/industries/utilities) - [Education](https://home.id.com.au/industries/education) - [Retail](https://home.id.com.au/industries/retail) - [Emergency services](https://home.id.com.au/industries/emergency-services) [BY EXPERTISE](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government#streams) - [Consulting](https://home.id.com.au/consulting-services/local-government) - [Demographics](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/demographics) - [Forecasting](https://home.id.com.au/forecasting/) - [Economics](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/economics) - [Housing](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/housing) - [Community views](https://home.id.com.au/community-views) [DIGITAL PLATFORM](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government#platform) - [profile.id](https://home.id.com.au/community-profile) - [atlas.id](https://home.id.com.au/social-atlas) - [forecast.id](https://home.id.com.au/forecasting/forecast.id) - [economy.id](https://home.id.com.au/economic-profile) - [housing.id](https://home.id.com.au/housing-monitor) - [views.id](https://home.id.com.au/community-views) - [About .id (informed decisions)](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [Meet the team](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/careers) - [.id scholarship](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/scholarship) - [Referencing .id as a source](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/referencing-and-sources) #### [BLOG](https://blog.id.com.au) # New Zealand census: Immigration patterns - [Population](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population) - [Demographic analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/demographic-analysis) - [Local area analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/local-area-analysis) - [Population trends](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population-trends) - [Australian census](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/australian-census) - [New Zealand population and census](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/new-zealand-population-and-census) - [Population forecasting](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population-forecasting) - [Economic analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/economic-analysis) - [Housing](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/housing) - [Community views](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/community-views) - [.id news](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/-id-news) - [Fun stuff](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/fun-stuff) - [Online tools](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/online-tools) - [Community profiles](https://content.id.com.au/community-profiles-australia) - [Social atlas](https://content.id.com.au/social-atlases-australia) - [Population forecasts](https://content.id.com.au/population-forecast-australia) - [Economic profiles](https://content.id.com.au/economic-profiles-australia) - [Housing monitors](https://housing.id.com.au/) - [Community views](https://views.id.com.au/local_governments) - [How to](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/how-to) - [Features and updates](https://home.id.com.au/new-data-and-features) ## New Zealand census: Immigration patterns [Penny - Population expert](https://blog.id.com.au/author/penny-population-expert) 25 Oct, 2012 A while ago I wrote about internal migration patterns, noting that New Zealand has surprisingly high levels in internal mobility. Yet while New Zealand communities are constantly changing as a result of people moving around their districts and the country, community profiles are also becoming increasingly diverse due to immigration patterns. The concept of increasing diversity in New Zealand is hardly novel, however some of the trends underlying this change make interesting reading, particularly when looking back over the last fifty years. [![NZ demographic focus](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Old/%5Bold%5D%20images/Images%20for%20old%20newsletters%20-%20160x160/NZ_focusE_160x160.jpg?width=209&height=209&name=NZ_focusE_160x160.jpg)](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Old/%5Bold%5D%20images/Images%20for%20old%20newsletters%20-%20160x160/NZ_focusE_160x160.jpg) The following table presents the top five most common overseas birthplaces in the 2006 census and compares these findings with their ranking and counts 25 years prior in 1981, and again in 1956. | Birthplace | 2006 census | 1981census | 1956 census | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | Count | Rank | Count | Rank | Count | Rank | | England | 202,401 | 1 | 173,181 | 1 | 144,030 | 1 | | People’s Republic of China | 78,117 | 2 | 4,269 | 16 | 3,882 | 9 | | Australia | 62,742 | 3 | 43,809 | 2 | 35,916 | 3 | | Samoa | 50,649 | 4 | 24,141 | 4 | 2,994 | 11 | | India | 43,344 | 5 | 6,018 | 12 | 4,467 | 8 | Interestingly, in the 1956 census, the second ranked country for overseas births was Scotland with 46,401 people. Fifty years later those with Scottish origins only account for 29,016 and Scotland has been the only country in the top nine most common overseas birthplaces in the 2006 census that has trended downward since 1956. **To access more demographic resources, visit [here](https://blog.id.com.au/demographic-resources). Subscribe to our blog feed and follow us on Twitter ([@dotid)](https://twitter.com/dotid) if you would like to receive the latest demographic news!** ***[![.id the population experts](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Id%20Blog%20Media/logo_thepopex.png?width=159&height=71&name=logo_thepopex.png)](https://home.id.com.au)***       Tags: [New Zealand population and census](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/new-zealand-population-and-census) ##### Penny - Population expert Based in New Zealand, Penny primarily looks after our Kiwi clients but also lends her expertise to the Australian context. Penny has extensive experience as a Communication Manager in Local Government and has a degree in Business and Communications. She also brings a breadth of generalist management experience in fields as varied as research, civil defence, project and event management, marketing and training. Penny’s knowledge combined with the .id tools help clients work with their communities to empower grass roots decision-making, advocacy and grant applications, and focus on strengthening council-community relationships. Penny has a rural property and enjoys growing and eating food and wine, which she runs, walks, bikes or swims off, when she’s not in the art studio. 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