New Zealand Culture

The primary authors of this profile were Fi McKay and Nina Evason.
The Core Concepts, Family and New Zealanders in Australia sections were published in 2016. The Religion section was authored by Chara Scroope (2023). All other sections were updated in 2022.

The Cultural Atlas would like to sincerely thank Fi McKay Consulting for their assistance and support in compiling this information.

• Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2010). New Zealanders in Australia (No. 4102; Australian Social Trends). https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features50Sep+2010
• Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021a). 4-digit level ANCP Ancestry Multi Response by Australia (UR) (No. 2021 Census of Population and Housing) [Data set]. ABS Census TableBuilder.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021b). People in Australia who were born in New Zealand [Data set]. 2021 Census Country of Birth QuickStats. https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/1201_AUS
• Baker, M. (2010). New Zealand. In J. G. Melton & M. Baumann (Eds.), Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices (2nd ed., Vol. 5). ABC-CLIO.
• Central Intelligence Agency. (2024, November 5). New Zealand. The World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/new-zealand/
• Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. (2022). Research shows Tall Poppy Syndrome negatively affects New Zealand entrepreneurs. University of Auckland Business School. https://www.cie.auckland.ac.nz/newsroom/research-shows-tall-poppy-syndrome-negatively-affects-new-zealand-entrepreneurs/
• Commisceo Global. (2020). New Zealand—Culture, Etiquette and Business Practices. Commisceo Global. https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/new-zealand-guide
• Cribb, J. (2009). Focus on families: New Zealand families of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, 6(35), 4–16. https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj35/focus-on-families.pdf
• Culture Crossing Guide. (2017). New Zealand. Culture Crossing Guide. https://guide.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student_details.php?Id=7&CID=148
• Department of Home Affairs. (2024). New Zealand-born Community Information Summary (Census of Population and Housing 2021, Country Data Summary). Commonwealth of Australia. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/mca/files/2021-cis-new-zealand.PDF
• Dictionary.com. (2024). Pakeha. In Dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/pakeha
• Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2021a). Rātana church: Māori religion. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ratana-church
• Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2021b). Ringatu. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ringatu
• Fletcher, A. (2010). Māori Religion. In J. G. Melton & M. Baumann (Eds.), Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices (2nd ed., Vols. 1–6). ABC-CLIO.
• Forbes, S. (2019). With an expat community of over one million New Zealanders living abroad, what are we doing to make use of these people and their skills? Interest.co.nz. https://www.interest.co.nz/news/98882/expat-community-over-one-million-new-zealanders%C2%A0living-abroad-what-are-we-doing-make-use
• Forebears. (2021). Most Common Last Names in New Zealand. Forebears. https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
• Goodyear, R., Bentley, A., White, V., Bretherton, C., MacGregor, C., Jaque, R., Dowdell, D., Butler, J., Fabian, A., & Dickson, C. (2020). Housing in Aotearoa: 2020 (2021 Update) [Report]. Stats NZ. https://www.stats.govt.nz/reports/housing-in-aotearoa-2020/
• Griffiths, D. H. (2011). Defining the “Secular” in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Era: Some Cases and Controversies. Otago Law Review, 12(3), 497–524.
• Hofstede Insights. (2024). Country Comparison Tool: New Zealand. The Culture Factor Group. https://www.theculturefactor.com/country-comparison-tool?countries=new+zealand
• Institute for Economics and Peace. (2015). Global Peace Index 2015 (IEP Report No. 34). https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Global-Peace-Index-Report-2015_0.pdf
• Kaa, H. (2017). Ngā hāhi – Māori and Christian denominations – Ringatū and Rātana. In Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Government. https://teara.govt.nz/en/nga-hahi-maori-and-christian-denominations/page-7
• Keane, B. (2013). Te kawa o te marae—Basic Marae Etiquette. In Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Government. https://teara.govt.nz/en/te-kawa-o-te-marae/page-4
• Keane, B. (2017). Whāngai—Customary fostering and adoption. In Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Government. https://teara.govt.nz/en/whangai-customary-fostering-and-adoption/page-1
• Lewis, R. D. (2006). When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures (3rd ed.). Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
• Lineham, P. J. (2018). Missions and Missionaries. In Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Government. https://teara.govt.nz/en/missions-and-missionaries
• Marcetic, B. (2018, March 3). A history of outrage over the word ‘Pākehā’ [Independent media organisation]. The Spinoff. https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/03-03-2018/a-history-of-outrage-over-the-word-pakeha
• Marriott, L., & Sim, D. (2014). Indicators of Inequality for Māori and Pacific People (Working Papers in Public Finance) [Working Paper]. Victoria Business School. https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/cpf/publications/working-papers/working-paper-pdfs/WP09_2014_Indicators-of-Inequality.pdf
• Matika, C. M. (2016). Support for Te Reo Māori in Aotearoa, 2015 (Policy Brief No. 8). The New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study. https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/psych/about/our-research/nzavs/Feedback%20Reports/NZAVS-Policy-Brief-(Revised)-Support-for-Te-Reo-Maori.pdf
• McKibbin, P. (2022, January 11). In today’s New Zealand, it’s not about being just Māori or Pākehā—Everyone must belong. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2022/jan/11/in-todays-new-zealand-its-not-about-being-just-maori-or-pakeha-everyone-must-belong
• Medical Council of New Zealand. (2006). Best health outcomes for Maori: Practice implications [Resource Booklet]. Medical Council of New Zealand. https://indigenouspsych.org/Resources/Best_Health_Outcomes_for_Maori.pdf
• Mikaere, A. (1994). Maori Women: Caught In The Contradictions Of A Colonised Reality. Waikato Law Review, 2(1), 125–149. https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/journals/WkoLawRw/1994/6.html
• Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2012, December 20). Māori values and practices that influenced interactions with Europeans. New Zealand History. https://nzhistory.net.nz/culture/frontier-of-chaos/maori-values/
• Ministry of Health. (2019). Report on Maternity 2017 [Statistical report]. New Zealand Government. https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/report-maternity-2017
• Morris, P. (2018). Diverse religions. In Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Government. https://teara.govt.nz/en/diverse-religions
• Morton, S. M. B., Walker, C. G., Gerritsen, S., Smith, A., Cha, J., Bird, A., Bullen, P., Carr, P. A., Chen, R., Exeter, D. J., Fa’alili-Fidow, J., Fenaughty, J., Grant, C., Kim, H., Kingi, T. K., Lai, H., Langridge, F., Marks, E. J., Kane Meissel, … Wall, C. (2020). Now We Are Eight: Life in Middle Childhood (Growing Up in New Zealand) [Report]. University of Auckland & Ministry of Social Development. https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63a70013e473f3b2807218ee/6420d943ce09cd73525d1e4f_report%209.pdf
• Museums Victoria. (2017). Immigration History from New Zealand to Victoria. Origins. https://origins.museumsvictoria.com.au/countries/new-zealand/
• New Zealand Government. (2020). Baby Names [Government Website]. Smart Start. https://smartstart.services.govt.nz/news/baby-names
• New Zealand Intellectual Property Office. (2024). Concepts to Understand [Government Website]. New Zealand Intellectual Property Office. https://www.iponz.govt.nz/get-ip/maori-ip/concepts-to-understand
• New Zealand Tourism. (2022a). Marae: Māori meeting grounds. 100% Pure New Zealand. https://www.newzealand.com/au/feature/marae-maori-meeting-grounds/
• New Zealand Tourism. (2022b). Pōwhiri—Māori Welcome. 100% Pure New Zealand. https://www.newzealand.com/au/feature/powhiri-maori-welcome/
• ProQuest. (2017). New Zealand. ProQuest & Brigham Young University. https://proquest.libguides.com/culturegrams
• Rough Guides. (n.d.). Culture and Etiquette in New Zealand. Rough Guides. https://www.roughguides.com/new-zealand/culture-etiquette/
• Sibley, C. (2013). The New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study. University of Auckland. https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/psych/about/our-research/nzavs/Feedback%20Reports/2013%20NZAVS%20Pamphlet.pdf
• Smith, C., & Tinirau, R. (Eds.). (2019). He Rau Murimuri Aroha: Wāhine Maori Insights into Historical Trauma and Healing. Te Atawhai o Te Ao: Independent Māori Institute for Environment & Health. https://teatawhai.maori.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/He-Rau-Murimuri-Aroha.pdf
• Stats NZ. (2018). New Zealand [Government website]. Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa. https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/2018-census-place-summaries/new-zealand#ethnicity-culture-and-identity
• Stats NZ. (2019). Parenting and fertility trends in New Zealand: 2018 [Data set]. New Zealand Government. https://www.stats.govt.nz/reports/parenting-and-fertility-trends-in-new-zealand-2018
• Stats NZ. (2024a). Ethnicity (detailed total responses level 3), age, and gender for the census usually resident population count, (RC, TALB, SA2, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses [Data set]. Aotearoa Data Explorer. https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CEthnicity%2C%20culture%2C%20and%20identity%23CAT_ETHNICITY_CULTURE_AND_IDENTITY%23&fs[1]=Ethnicity%2C2%7CTotal%20-%20ethnicity%239999%23%7CPacific%20Peoples%233%23%7CSamoan%23311%23&pg=0&fc=Ethnicity&snb=5&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_ECI_016&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=2018%2B2023.999999..99.99&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001&ly[rw]=CEN23_ETH_003&to[TIME]=false
• Stats NZ. (2024b). Household composition in New Zealand [Graph; Data set]. Figure.NZ. https://figure.nz/chart/xFY5HpCzEvxkP2MC
• Stats NZ. (2024c). Languages spoken, birthplace, and ethnicity for the census usually resident population count, (RC, TALB, SA2, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses [Data set]. Aotearoa Data Explorer. https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CEthnicity%2C%20culture%2C%20and%20identity%23CAT_ETHNICITY_CULTURE_AND_IDENTITY%23&fs[1]=Languages%20spoken%2C0%7CTotal%20-%20languages%20spoken%23999%23&pg=0&fc=Languages%20spoken&snb=4&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_ECI_007&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=2018%2B2023.999999..99.999&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001&ly[rw]=CEN23_LAN_001&to[TIME]=false
• Stats NZ. (2024d). Religious affiliation, age, and gender for the census usually resident population count, (RC, TALB, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses [Data set]. Aotearoa Data Explorer. https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?pg=0&snb=24&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_ECI_025&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=2018%2B2023.999999..99.99&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001&ly[rw]=CEN23_REA_004&to[TIME]=false&tm=religious%20affiliation
• Swain Destinations. (2013, May 17). A Quick Review of Maori Etiquette. Swain Destinations. https://www.swaindestinations.com/blog/a-quick-review-of-maori-etiquette/
• Symonds, L. (2022, September 8). Maori Etiquette: What to Do When Visiting a Marae [Travel Guide]. NZ Pocket Guide. https://nzpocketguide.com/maori-etiquette-visiting-marae/
• Taonga by Timoti. (2020, January 20). Can You Buy Pounamu For Yourself [Retail]. Taonga by Timoti - Solidified Wairua. https://timoti.nz/blog/can-you-buy-pounamu-for-yourself
• Tauroa, H., & Tauroa, P. (2009). Te Marae: A Guide to Customs and Protocol. Penguin.
• Transparency International. (2024). Corruption Perceptions Index 2023 (Annual CPI Report). https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2023
• University of Auckland. (2013, February 5). Research busts myth that “Pākehā” is a derogatory term [Online News Publication]. Phys Org. https://www.psych.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/new-zealand-attitudes-and-values-study.html
• Wilson, J. (2005). Modern Society. In Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Government.
• Wilson, P. J. (2001). New Zealand. In M. Ember & C. R. Ember (Eds.), Countries and Their Cultures: Laos to Rwanda (Vol. 3, pp. 1590–1600). Macmillan Reference USA; Advameg. https://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/New-Zealand.html