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Story: South Africans

Page 4: Facts and figures

Ethnic identity

In the New Zealand census, people were asked to indicate the ethnic group or groups with which they identified. The numbers include those who indicated more than one group.

  • South African European: 21,609 (2006); 28,656 (2013); 37,155 (2018)
  • South African Indian: 1,632 (2018)
  • Other South African: 204 (2006); 255 (2013); 6,816 (2018)

Country of birth

The New Zealand census figures listed here show the number of residents born in South Africa or its predecessors.

Cape of Good Hope

  • 1874 census: 405

South Africa

  • 1901 census: 474
  • 1951 census: 1,398
  • 1976 census: 3,840
  • 2001 census: 26,061
  • 2006 census: 41,676
  • 2013 census: 54,279
  • 2018 census: 71,382
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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, South Africans – Facts and figures, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/south-africans/page-4 (accessed 9 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 August 2024.