Dutch New Zealanders

Dutch New Zealanders
Nederlandse Nieuw-Zeelanders

A Dutch-style stellingmolen (windmill) in Foxton, New Zealand
Total population
29,820 (by ancestry, 2018)[1]
Languages
New Zealand English, Dutch
Religion
Protestantism, Roman Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Dutch people, Dutch Australians, European New Zealanders

Dutch New Zealanders (Dutch: Nederlandse Nieuw-Zeelanders) are New Zealanders of Dutch ancestry. Dutch migration to New Zealand dates back to the earliest period of European colonisation. The 2013 census recorded 19,815 people born in the Netherlands and 28,503 people claiming Dutch ethnicity.^[2]

The Netherlands' embassy in Wellington estimated there were approximately 45,000 Dutch citizens residing in New Zealand. This number includes persons with dual New Zealand and Dutch nationality. As many as 100,000 New Zealanders are estimated to be of Dutch descent.^[3]

Large-scale immigration to New Zealand began after World War II. By 1968, 28,366 Dutch immigrants had settled in New Zealand, which made them the largest immigrant group after English New Zealanders.^[4] Dutch clubs were formed in areas with high numbers of Dutch immigrants to foster language skills, however a large proportion of Dutch New Zealanders lost the ability to speak Dutch.^[4]

In the 1950s, the Dutch immigrants Rolf Feijen and Hans Romaine formed the Restaurant Association of New Zealand. Lobbying by the association made restaurants such as Otto Groen's Otto Groen and the Dutch Kiwi, a restaurant located in Waiatarua, in the Waitākere Ranges of Auckland, become the first in New Zealand that was allowed to serve wine with meals.^[4][5][3]

There were 29,820 people identifying as being part of the Dutch ethnic group at the 2018 New Zealand census, making up 0.6% of New Zealand's population. This is an increase of 1,317 people (4.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,179 people (4.1%) since the 2006 census. Some of the increase between the 2013 and 2018 census was due to Statistics New Zealand adding ethnicity data from other sources (previous censuses, administrative data, and imputation) to the 2018 census data to reduce the number of non-responses.^[6]

There were 14,502 males and 15,315 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.947 males per female. Of the population, 5,580 people (18.7%) were aged under 15 years, 5,598 (18.8%) were 15 to 29, 12,138 (40.7%) were 30 to 64, and 6,501 (21.8%) were 65 or older.^[7]

In terms of population distribution, 75.6% lived in the North Island and 24.5% lived in the South Island. Great Barrier Island had the highest concentration of Dutch people at 1.3%, followed by the Carterton District and the South Waikato District (both 1.2%). The Chatham Islands had the lowest concentration, recording no Dutch people.^[7]

The Oranjehof museum, in Foxton, tells the story of the Dutch immigrants in New Zealand. It also plays a national role in connecting the Dutch community, which is spread all through New Zealand. The Oranjehof Dutch Connection Centre is part of the Te Awahou Riverside Cultural Park, which also includes the flour-grinding windmill De Molen - a Stellingmolen, built to a 17th-century design.

• Demographics of New Zealand
• European New Zealanders
• Europeans in Oceania
• Netherlands–New Zealand relations
• Dutch Australians