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Story: Scots

New Zealanders of Scottish birth in the 19th century

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New Zealanders of Scottish birth in the 19th century

The number of people of Scottish birth living in New Zealand reached a peak in 1886, then declined toward the end of the century, reflecting the loss of population and reduced immigrant inflows during years when the New Zealand economy was depressed. As the lower graph shows, the proportion of Scots in the whole non-Māori population steadily declined after 1864.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: New Zealand census

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How to cite this page

John Wilson, Scots – The late 1800s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/215/new-zealanders-of-scottish-birth-in-the-19th-century (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 August 2024.