Religion in New Zealand

Religions in New Zealand, 2018 census[1][a]

No religion (48.6%)

Christianity (37.3%)

Hinduism (2.7%)

Islam (1.3%)

Buddhism (1.1%)

Sikhism (0.9%)

Judaism (0.1%)

Others (1.3%)

Undeclared (6.7%)

Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral in Auckland. Christianity is New Zealand's largest religion and Anglicanism is the largest affiliation. Religion by country

Africa

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Mauritius
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

Asia

* Afghanistan
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Cyprus
* East Timor
* Georgia
* Hong Kong
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Korea
* North Korea
* South Korea
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Macau
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Palestine
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Taiwan
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Turkey
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

Europe

* Albania
* Andorra
* Austria
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Czechia
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Kosovo
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* England
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales

North America

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Canada
* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* Dominica
* Dominican Republic
* El Salvador
* Grenada
* Guatemala
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Panama
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Saint Lucia
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States

Oceania

* Australia
* Fiji
* Kiribati
* Marshall Islands
* Micronesia
* Nauru
* New Zealand
* Palau
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Solomon Islands
* Tonga
* Tuvalu
* Vanuatu

South America

* Argentina
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Chile
* Colombia
* Ecuador
* Guyana
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Suriname
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Religion portal

* v
* t
* e

Religion in New Zealand encompasses a wide range of groups and beliefs. New Zealand has no state religion and freedom of religion has been protected since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.[2]

Almost half (48.6 per cent) of New Zealanders stated they had no religion in the 2018 census and 6.7 per cent made no declaration. Christianity remains the most popular religion; 37.3 per cent of the population at the 2018 census identified as Christian, with Anglican being the largest religious affiliation, just ahead of "Christian not further defined," Roman Catholic, and, grouped together, 'Presbyterian, Congregational and Reformed'.[1]

## Overview[edit]

Before European colonisation the religion of the indigenous Māori population was polytheistic and animistic. Efforts of Christian missionaries and their churches resulted in most Māori converting to Christianity.[3] Māori transformed their moral, religious and political lives, making Christianity their own. In the 1840s, it's likely that a larger proportion of Māori regularly attended church services than people did in the United Kingdom.[4]

The majority of 19th-century European immigrants came from the British Isles, establishing the three dominant British Christian denominations in New Zealand: Anglicanism, Catholicism and Presbyterianism. The tendency for Scottish immigrants to settle in Otago and Southland saw Presbyterianism predominate in these regions while Anglicanism predominated elsewhere; the effect of this is still seen in religious affiliation statistics today (see the map below). The arrival of other groups of immigrants did little to change Christianity being the major religion: Pacific Islanders and other primarily Christian ethnic groups dominated immigration until the 1970s.[citation needed]

Immigration since 1991 has led to slight yet steady growth in the number of adherents of south and south-east Asian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism, particularly in Auckland.[5] The number and proportion of people affiliating with non-Christian religions has increased to around six per cent of the population. Hinduism the second-most popular religion with 2.7 per cent of the population.[1] Sikhism is the fastest-growing faith.[6]

## Demographics[edit]

### Religious affiliation[edit]

A Rātana temple in Rātana Pā. The Rātana movement is a Māori church.

New Zealand censuses have collected data on religious affiliation since 1851. Statistics New Zealand (the state agency that collects statistics on religion and other demographics) state that:

> Religious affiliation is a variable of strong interest to religious organisations, social scientists, and can be used as an explanatory variable in studies on topics such as marriage formation and dissolution, fertility and income.[7]

One complication in interpreting religious affiliation data in New Zealand is the large proportion who object to answering the question – roughly 313,000 respondents in 2018.[8] Most reporting of percentages is based on the total number of responses, rather than the total population.[9][8]

In the early 20th century New Zealand census data indicates that the vast majority of New Zealanders affiliated with Christianity. The total percentages in the 1921 non-Māori census were: 45% Anglicans, 19.9% Presbyterians, 13.6% Catholics, 9.5% Methodists and 11.2% Others. Statistics for Māori in particular became available only from 1936, with 35.8% Anglicans, 19.9% Rātana, 13.9% Catholics, 7.2% Ringatū, 7.1% Methodists, 6.5% Latter-day Saints, 1.3% Methodists and 8.3% Others recorded at this census.[10]

#### Religious affiliation statistics[edit]

The table below is based on religious affiliation data recorded at the last four censuses for usually resident people. Figures and percentages may not add to 100 per cent as it is possible for people to state more than one religion.[11] The trend indicators are based on the change in percentage of the population, not the number of adherents.

The 2018 census had an unusually low (83%) response rate.[12] Statistics New Zealand subsequently calculated the 2018 census statistics based on the combination of 2018 census responses (82.9%), 2013 census responses (8.2%) and imputation (8.8%). The reported results are deemed to be high quality, but are not completely reliable.[13]

Religion  | 2018 census[a][8] | 2013 census[b] | 2006 census | 2001 census | Trend (%)

|
|
|
|
|

Number  | %  | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | 2001–18
Christian | 1,738,638 | 37.31 | 1,858,977 | 47.65 | 2,027,418 | 54.16 | 2,043,843 | 58.92 |
Anglican | 314,913 | 6.76 | 459,771 | 11.79 | 554,925 | 14.82 | 584,793 | 16.86 |
Roman Catholic[c] | 295,743 | 6.2 | 492,105 | 12.61 | 508,437 | 13.58 | 485,637 | 14.00 |
Christian (not further defined)  | 307,926 | 6.61 | 216,177 | 5.54 | 186,234 | 4.97 | 192,165 | 5.54 |
Presbyterian, Congregational and Reformed | 242,907 | 5.21 | 330,516 | 8.47 | 400,839 | 10.71 | 431,139 | 12.43 |
Catholicism (not further defined)  | 173,016 | 3.71 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Pentecostal | 81,624 | 1.75 | 74,256 | 1.90 | 79,155 | 2.11 | 67,182 | 1.94 |
Methodist | 72,747 | 1.56 | 102,879 | 2.64 | 121,806 | 3.25 | 120,546 | 3.48 |
Latter-day Saints | 54,123 | 1.16 | 40,728 | 1.04 | 43,539 | 1.16 | 39,915 | 1.15 |
Baptist | 39,030 | 0.84 | 54,345 | 1.39 | 56,913 | 1.52 | 51,423 | 1.48 |
Evangelical, Born Again and Fundamentalist | 38,127 | 0.82 | 15,381 | 0.39 | 13,836 | 0.37 | 11,016 | 0.32 |
Jehovah's Witnesses | 20,061 | 0.43 | 17,931 | 0.46 | 17,910 | 0.48 | 17,829 | 0.51 |
Adventist | 18,510 | 0.40 | 17,085 | 0.44 | 16,191 | 0.43 | 14,868 | 0.43 |
Brethren | 14,160 | 0.30 | 18,624 | 0.48 | 19,617 | 0.52 | 20,397 | 0.59 |
Orthodox | 13,866 | 0.30 | 13,806 | 0.35 | 13,194 | 0.35 | 9,576 | 0.28 |
Asian Christian  | 10,203 | 0.22 | 132 | <0.01 | 195 | 0.01 | 195 | 0.01 |
Protestant (not further defined)  | 8,544 | 0.18 | 4,998 | 0.13 | 3,954 | 0.11 | 2,787 | 0.08 |
Salvation Army | 7,929 | 0.17 | 9,162 | 0.23 | 11,493 | 0.31 | 12,618 | 0.36 |
Uniting/Union Church and Ecumenical  | 3,693 | 0.08 | 999 | 0.03 | 1,419 | 0.04 | 1,389 | 0.04 |
Lutheran | 3,585 | 0.08 | 3,903 | 0.10 | 4,476 | 0.12 | 4,314 | 0.12 |
Church of Christ and Associated Churches of Christ  | 3,258 | 0.07 | 2,145 | 0.05 | 2,991 | 0.08 | 3,270 | 0.09 |
Other Christian  | 14,673 | 0.31 | 3,714 | 0.10 | 3,798 | 0.10 | 3,558 | 0.10 |
Hinduism/Hindu | 123,534 | 2.65 | 89,319 | 2.11 | 64,392 | 1.72 | 39,798 | 1.15 |
Māori religions, beliefs and philosophies[d] | 62,634  | 1.34  | 52,947  | 1.36  | 65,550  | 1.75  | 63,597  | 1.83  |
Rātana | 43,821 | 0.94 | 40,353 | 1.03 | 50,565 | 1.35 | 48,975 | 1.41 |
Ringatū | 12,336 | 0.26 | 13,272 | 0.34 | 16,419 | 0.44 | 15,291 | 0.44 |
Māori religions (not further defined)  | 3,699 | 0.08 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Pai Mārire | 1,194 | 0.03 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Other Māori religions, beliefs and philosophies  | 1,584 | 0.03 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Māori Christian (not further defined)  | N/A | N/A | 222 | 0.01 | 219 | 0.01 | 237 | 0.01 |
Other Māori Christian  | N/A | N/A | 333 | 0.01 | 360 | 0.01 | 426 | 0.01 |
Māori Religion  | 0 | 0.00 | 2,595 | 0.07 | 2,412 | 0.06 | 1,995 | 0.06 |
Islam/Muslim | 61,455  | 1.32  | 46,149  | 1.18  | 36,072  | 0.96  | 23,631  | 0.68  |
Buddhism/Buddhist | 52,779 | 1.13 | 58,404 | 1.50 | 52,362 | 1.40 | 41,634 | 1.20 |
Sikhism/Sikh | 40,908 | 0.88 | 19,191 | 0.49 | 9,507 | 0.25 | 5,199 | 0.15 |
Spiritualism and New Age religions | 19,695  | 0.42  | 18,285  | 0.47  | 19,800  | 0.53  | 16,062  | 0.46  |
Spiritualist | 8,262 | 0.18 | 7,776 | 0.20 | 7,743 | 0.21 | 5,856 | 0.17 |
Nature and Earth based religions  | 6,582 | 0.14 | 5,943 | 0.15 | 7,125 | 0.19 | 5,838 | 0.17 |
Satanism | 1,149 | 0.02 | 840 | 0.02 | 1,164 | 0.03 | 894 | 0.03 |
New Age (not further defined)  | 363 | 0.01 | 441 | 0.01 | 669 | 0.02 | 420 | 0.01 |
Church of Scientology | 321 | 0.01 | 318 | 0.01 | 357 | 0.01 | 282 | 0.01 |
Other New Age religions  | 3,018 | 0.06 | 3,015 | 0.08 | 2,871 | 0.08 | 2,784 | 0.08 |
Judaism/Jewish | 5,274  | 0.11  | 6,867  | 0.18  | 6,858  | 0.18  | 6,636  | 0.19  |
Other religions | 11,079  | 0.24  | 15,054  | 0.39  | 14,943  | 0.40  | 13,581  | 0.39 |
Baháʼí | 2,925 | 0.06 | 2,634 | 0.07 | 2,772 | 0.07 | 2,988 | 0.09 |
Theism | 2,607 | 0.06 | 1,782 | 0.05 | 2,202 | 0.06 | 1,491 | 0.04 |
Chinese religions  | 1,491 | 0.03 | 906 | 0.02 | 912 | 0.02 | 1,269 | 0.04 |
Other religion (not further defined)  | 1,434 | 0.03 | 5,202 | 0.13 | 4,830 | 0.13 | 4,641 | 0.13 |
Zoroastrian | 1,068 | 0.02 | 972 | 0.02 | 1,071 | 0.03 | 486 | 0.01 |
Jainism | 612 | 0.01 | 207 | 0.01 | 111 | <0.01 | 57 | <0.01 |
Japanese religions  | 588 | 0.01 | 423 | 0.01 | 384 | 0.01 | 303 | 0.01 |
Other religions  | 354 | 0.01 | 333 | 0.01 | 258 | 0.01 | 351 | 0.01 |
Total people with at least one religious affiliation | 2,083,107  | 44.70  | 2,146,167  | 53.64 | 2,271,921  | 60.69  | 2,232,564  | 64.36  |
No religion | 2,264,601  | 48.59  | 1,635,345  | 41.92  | 1,297,104  | 34.65  | 1,028,049  | 29.64  |
Object to answering | 312,795  | 6.71  | 173,034  | 4.44  | 242,607  | 6.48  | 239,241  | 6.90  |
Total people stated | 4,660,503  | 100.0  | 3,901,167  | 100.00  | 3,743,655  | 100.00  | 3,468,813  | 100.00  |
Not elsewhere included[e] | 39,252 |  | 347,301 |  | 292,974 |  | 287,376 |  |
Total population | 4,699,755  |  | 4,242,048  |  | 4,027,947  |  | 3,737,277  |  |

1. ^ a b Data from the 2018 Census is not entirely reliable. An independent inquiry carried out in August 2019 regarding the 2018 census criticised the Chief Statistician Liz MacPherson's decision to conduct the census solely online as the census attracted only an 83% response rate, even lower than the 90% earlier reported.[12] This drop, which amounted to the lowest census response rate for fifty years, has been blamed on a 'digital-first' policy, which excluded rural and older demographics.[14][15] In response to the report, MacPherson resigned as chief statistician on 13 August 2019.[16][17][18]
2. ^ The 2011 census was cancelled due to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake; the 2013 census replaced it.
3. ^ In the 2018 census, responses indicating 'Catholicism (nfd)' increased significantly, and this in part accounts for the large notional decline in the number of Roman Catholics.
4. ^ The 2018 census replaced "Māori Religion" and "Māori Christian" with "Māori Religions, Beliefs and Philosophies".
5. ^ Includes Jedi, Pastafarianism, Atheism, Agnosticism, religion unidentifiable, response outside scope, and not stated.

### Significant trends[edit]

Religious affiliations of New Zealanders in the last six censuses (also available as a bar chart) Irreligion in New Zealand is highest among males and younger generations; with the exception of the 10–14 age bracket, the majority of New Zealanders under 35 are irreligious.

Christianity – historically the largest religious group – is declining, while stating no religion and affiliation to other (minority) religions is increasing. Statistics New Zealand report that about 80% of the largest non-Christian religious groups are composed of immigrants, almost half of whom have arrived in New Zealand since 2000.[9] The exceptions to this are traditional Māori religion, Judaism (24% immigrant) and Bahá'í (20% immigrant).[19] Mirroring contemporary trends in immigration to New Zealand, immigrant religions increased fastest between the 2006 and 2013 censuses; Sikh by 102% to 19,191, Hindu by 39% to 89,319, Islam by 28% to 46,149, and Buddhist by 11% to 58,404. Hinduism emerged as the second-largest religious group in New Zealand after Christianity in the 2006 census.[citation needed] Of the major ethnic groups in New Zealand, people belonging to European and Māori ethnicities were the most likely to be irreligious, with 46.9 per cent and 46.3 per cent stating so in the 2013 census. Those belonging to Pacific and Middle Eastern/Latin American/African were least likely to be irreligious at 17.5 per cent and 17.0 per cent respectively.[20]

In May 2018, McCrindle published The Faith and Belief in New Zealand Report.[21] The report was commissioned by the Wilberforce Foundation.[22] The results showed that more than half of New Zealanders (55%) do not identify with any main religion, indicating that New Zealand is a largely secular nation. The related infographic showed that, of the 33% who identified with Christianity, 16% were church-goers (attending at least monthly) and 9% were "Active Practisers" (described as "extremely involved").[23]

### Regional trends[edit]

First Church of Otago, a Presbyterian church in Dunedin. The Otago region was historically dominated by Presbyterianism because it was settled by Scots.

Immigration and settlement trends have led to religious differences between the various regions of New Zealand. The 19th-century settlement of Scottish immigrants in Otago (originally under the auspices of the Free Church of Scotland in 1848) and Southland continues to influence the dominance of Presbyterianism in the south of the South Island. The English mainly settled in the North Island and Upper South Island, hence the dominance of Anglicanism in these areas (especially Canterbury, where the Church of England sponsored the 1850 settlement through the Canterbury Association).

Subsequent migration trends have led to clusters of distinct religious practice. Catholics of Polish origin (many connected with the re-settlements from Siberia in 1944) have a presence (for example) in the Wellington region.[24] Filipinos have become a noticeable element in the Roman Catholic communities of Southland.[25]

Dominant Christian denominations in each territorial authority, 2013 census.
The Chatham Islands have roughly equal numbers of Anglicans and Catholics.

In the 2013 census, two of New Zealand's sixteen regions had a Christian majority: Southland (51.9 per cent) and Hawke's Bay (50.5 per cent), and two regions had a non-religious majority: Tasman (51.4 per cent) and Nelson (51.0 per cent).[11]

Christian denominations by region, 2013 census[11] Region  | Anglican  | Catholic  | Presbyterian

|
|
|

Num. | % | Num. | % | Num. | %
Northland | 19,836 | 14.7 | 3,743 | 10.2 | 7,293 | 5.4
Auckland | 117,843 | 9.1 | 172,110 | 13.3 | 95,889 | 7.4
Waikato | 45,687 | 12.3 | 41,148 | 11.1 | 27,885 | 7.5
Bay of Plenty | 31,674 | 13.0 | 26,817 | 11.0 | 19,938 | 8.2
Gisborne | 7,998 | 20.5 | 3,195 | 8.2 | 2,523 | 6.5
Hawke's Bay | 22,800 | 16.5 | 15,729 | 11.4 | 12,879 | 9.3
Taranaki | 13,584 | 13.5 | 15,654 | 15.5 | 7,815 | 7.7
Manawatū-Whanganui | 29,190 | 14.2 | 25,719 | 12.5 | 16,269 | 7.9
Wellington | 51,819 | 11.9 | 64,497 | 14.8 | 30,222 | 6.9
Tasman | 6,147 | 13.9 | 3,261 | 7.4 | 2,622 | 5.9
Nelson | 5,763 | 13.3 | 3,885 | 9.0 | 2,484 | 5.7
Marlborough | 7,182 | 17.8 | 4,536 | 11.2 | 3,561 | 8.8
West Coast | 4,101 | 14.0 | 4,929 | 16.8 | 1,941 | 6.6
Canterbury | 74,277 | 14.8 | 63,858 | 12.7 | 48,378 | 9.6
Otago | 15,741 | 8.4 | 21,492 | 11.5 | 31,998 | 17.1
Southland | 6,015 | 6.9 | 11,421 | 13.1 | 18,804 | 21.6
New Zealand total | 459,771 | 11.8 | 492,105 | 12.6 | 330,516 | 8.5

### Jedi census phenomenon[edit]

See also: Jedi census phenomenon and Jediism

Encouraged by an informal email campaign prior to the 2001 census, over 53,000 people listed themselves as Jedi (over 1.5% of responses). If the Jedi response had been accepted as valid it would have then been the second-largest religion in New Zealand, behind Christianity. However, Statistics New Zealand treated Jedi responses as "Answer understood, but will not be counted".[26] In the next census, in 2006, the number of reported Jedis decreased to 20,000.[27]

## Religions[edit]

### Christianity[edit]

Main article: Christianity in New Zealand

See also: Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia; Catholic Church in New Zealand; and Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

The first Christian service conducted in New Zealand waters was likely to have been Catholic liturgies celebrated by Father Paul-Antoine Léonard de Villefeix, the Dominican chaplain of the ship Saint Jean Baptiste commanded by the French navigator and explorer Jean-François-Marie de Surville. Villefeix was the first Christian clergyman to set foot in New Zealand, and probably said Mass on board the ship near Whatuwhiwhi in Doubtless Bay on Christmas Day 1769. He is reported to have also led prayers for the sick the previous day and to have conducted Christian burials.[28][29]

The Reverend Samuel Marsden of the Anglican Church Missionary Society (then chaplain in New South Wales) conducted the first Christian service on New Zealand land on Christmas Day in 1814, at Oihi Bay, a small cove in Rangihoua Bay in the Bay of Islands, at the invitation of chiefs Te Pahi and Ruatara, considered to have been the first preaching of the gospel in New Zealand.[29][3]

Christ Church in Russell, built in 1835, is one of the oldest churches in New Zealand.[30]

The CMS sent missionaries to settle in New Zealand, and founded its first mission at Rangihoua Bay in the 1814 and over the next decade established farms and schools in the area. In June 1823 Wesleydale, the first Wesleyan Methodist mission in New Zealand, was established at Kaeo, near Whangaroa Harbour.[31]

Church Missionary Society printer/missionary, William Colenso's 1837 Māori New Testament was the first indigenous-language translation of the Bible published in the southern hemisphere. Demand for the Māori New Testament, and for the Prayer Book that followed, grew exponentially, as did Christian Māori leadership and public Christian services, with 33,000 Māori soon attending regularly. Literacy and understanding the Bible increased mana and social and economic benefits, decreased the practices of slavery and intertribal violence, and increased peace and respect for all people in Māori society, including women.[32]

Jean Baptiste Pompallier was the first Catholic bishop to come to New Zealand, arriving in 1838. With a number of Marist Brothers, Pompallier organised the Catholic Church throughout the country.[33]

Though in England the Anglican Church was an established state church, by the middle of the 19th century even the Anglicans themselves sometimes doubted this arrangement, while the other major denominations of the new colony (Presbyterians, Methodist and Catholics, for example) obviously preferred that the local situation allowed for all their groups.[10] George Augustus Selwyn became the first Anglican Bishop of New Zealand in 1841.[3] In 1892 the New Zealand Church Missionary Society (NZCMS) formed in a Nelson church hall and the first New Zealand missionaries were sent overseas soon after.[34]

The Hamilton New Zealand Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Waves of new immigrants brought their particular (usually Christian) faiths with them. Initial denominational distribution very much reflected the fact that local immigrant communities started small and often came from comparatively small regions in the origin countries in Great Britain. As a result, by the time of the 1921 census, no uniform distribution existed amongst non-Māori Christians, with Presbyterians as the dominant group in Otago and Southland; Anglicans in the Far North, the East Cape and various other areas including Banks Peninsula; while Methodists flourished mainly in Taranaki and the Manawatū; and Catholicism was the dominant religion on the West Coast with its many mining concerns, and in Central Otago.[10] The Catholic Church, while not particularly dominant in terms of proportional numbers, became more prominent throughout the country in the early and middle 20th century through establishing many schools in that period.[10]

This 1820 painting shows Ngāpuhi chiefs Waikato (left) and Hongi Hika, and Anglican missionary Thomas Kendall.

Beginning in the mid-1960s church membership and attendance started declining in percentage terms,[35] mostly due to people declaring themselves as having no religion as well as dur to growth of non-Christian religions. The five largest Christian denominations in 2001 remained the largest in 2006. But, despite fairly strong historical affiliation of New Zealanders to Christianity since colonisation, church attendance in New Zealand has not been as high as in other Western nations.[36]

The Anglican, Presbyterian, Congregation and Reformed denominations, and undefined Christian denominations decreased; yet the Catholic and Methodist denominations increased, as did some with other Christian denominations between 2001 and 2006: Orthodox Christian religions increased by 37.8 per cent; affiliation with Evangelical, Born Again and Fundamentalist religions increased by 25.6 per cent, and affiliation with Pentecostal religions increased by 17.8 per cent.[9]

Research by the Bible Society of New Zealand in 2008 indicated that 15% of New Zealanders attend church at least once a week, and 20% attend at least once a month.[37] In 2013 42% of the population said they had no religion.[11]

According to the 2018 census, 10.1% identified as Catholic or Roman Catholic, 6.8% are Anglican, 6.6% are Undefined Christian, 5.2% are Presbyterian, 1.3% are Māori Christian, and 8.6% reported affiliation to other Christian groups.[1]

To this day, however, Christian prayer (karakia) is the expected way to begin and end Māori public gatherings of many kinds. Its use in local government meetings become contentious in the early 2020s.[38]

According to a 2019 survey, nearly four in ten New Zealanders lacked trust in evangelical Christians.[39]

### Hinduism[edit]

Main article: Hinduism in New Zealand

Bharatiya Mandir is the oldest and the largest Hindu Temple in New Zealand

Hinduism is the second largest religion in New Zealand after Christianity, with over 123,000 adherents according to the 2018 census, constituting 2.63% of the New Zealand population.[40] The number of Hindus in New Zealand grew modestly after the 1990s when the immigration laws were changed.[41]

### Islam[edit]

Main article: Islam in New Zealand

The Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton, Christchurch (pictured in 2019). Built in 1984–1985, it was the world's southernmost mosque until 1999.[42]

Islam in New Zealand began with the arrival of Muslim Chinese gold prospectors in the 1870s.[43] The first Islamic organisation in New Zealand, the New Zealand Muslim Association, was established in Auckland in 1950.[44] 1960 saw the arrival of the first imam, Maulana Said Musa Patel, from Gujarat, India.[45] Large-scale Muslim immigration began in the 1970s with the arrival of Fiji Indians, followed in the 1990s by refugees from various war-torn countries.[43] In April 1979 the three regional Muslim organisations of Canterbury, Wellington and Auckland, joined together to create the only national Islamic body – the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand.[45] Early in the 1990s many migrants were admitted under New Zealand's refugee quota, from war zones in Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Iraq.[citation needed] Since the 11 September attacks there was a spike in conversions to Islam among Māori inmates in prisons.[46][47]

In the 2018 census, 61,455 people, identified themselves as Muslim constituting 1.32% of the total population making it the third largest religion in the country.[48]

### Buddhism[edit]

Main article: Buddhism in New Zealand

Fo Guang Shan Temple, Auckland

Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in New Zealand, at 1.13% of the population.[1] In 2007 the Fo Guang Shan Temple was opened in Auckland for the promotion of Humanistic Buddhism. It is the largest Buddhist temple in New Zealand.

Most of the Buddhists in New Zealand are migrants from Asia with the number of other New Zealand Buddhists ranging from 15,000 to 20,000.[49][50]

### Judaism[edit]

Main article: History of the Jews in New Zealand

The history of Jewish people in New Zealand begins in the 1830s with the earliest known settler Joel Samuel Polack.[51] Prominent New Zealand Jews in history include 19th-century Premier Julius Vogel and at least five Auckland mayors, including Dove-Myer Robinson, and a chief justice (Sir Michael Myers). Former Prime Minister John Key is of part Ashkenazi Jewish descent, although he did not practice Judaism.

The first recorded communal Jewish service in New Zealand was held on 7 January 1843 in Wellington, although individual Jews were amongst earlier explorers and settlers.[52]

The Jewish population in New Zealand increased from 6,636 in the 2001 census to 6,867 in the 2013 census.[53][54] However it decreased to 5,274 in the 2018 census,[1] possibly because of security concerns by Jews over the "digital-first" online census format introduced that year.[citation needed]

The majority of New Zealand Jews reside in Auckland and Wellington,[53] though there is also a significant Jewish community in Dunedin which is believed to have the world's southernmost permanent synagogue.[55] In 2018 census, 0.11% of the population identified as Jewish/Judaism.[56]

### Baháʼí Faith[edit]

Main article: Bahá'í Faith in New Zealand

The first Baháʼí in the Antipodes was Englishwoman Dorothea Spinney who arrived in Auckland from New York in 1912.[57] About 1913 there were two converts – Robert Felkin who had met 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London in 1911 and moved to New Zealand in 1912 and is considered a Baháʼí by 1914[58] and Margaret Stevenson who first heard of the religion in 1911 and by her own testimony was a Bahá'í in 1913.[59] The first Baháʼí Spiritual Assembly In New Zealand was elected in 1926[60] and their first independent National Spiritual Assembly in 1957.[61] By 1963 there were four Assemblies.[62] In the 2006 census 0.07% of respondents, or 2,772 people, identified themselves as Baháʼí.[63] In the 2018 census 0.05% of respondents, or 2,925 people, reported an affiliation to the Baháʼí Faith.[1] There are some 45 local assemblies and smaller registered groups.[64]

### Māori religion[edit]

Main articles: Māori religion § Traditional Māori religion, and Māori mythology

Traditional Māori religion – that is, the pre-European belief system of Māori people – was little modified in its essentials from that of their Eastern Polynesian homeland, conceiving of everything, including natural elements and all living things, as connected by common descent through whakapapa or genealogy. Accordingly, all things were thought of as possessing a life force, or mauri.[65] Very few Māori still adhere to traditional Māori beliefs – 3,699 respondents to the 2018 census identified themselves as adhering to "Māori religions, beliefs and philosophies".[1]

### Sikhism[edit]

Main article: Sikhism in New Zealand

Sikhs have been in New Zealand for more than a century, with the first arriving in Hamilton in the 1880s. There are now about 40,908 Sikhs in New Zealand, constituting 0.88% of the country's population.[1] Sikhism is the fastest growing religion in New Zealand with the Sikh population in New Zealand having quadrupled since 2006[6] Sikhs have a strong presence in Auckland, and especially in South Auckland and Manukau, with the National Party's former Member of Parliament for Manukau Kanwal Singh Bakshi being a Sikh.[9] There were thirteen gurdwaras (the Sikh place of worship) in New Zealand in 2010. The largest, Kalgidhar Sahib, is situated in Auckland at Takanini.[66]

## Religion in culture and the arts[edit]

Part of a series on the

Culture of New Zealand

Kiwiana

History

* Timeline
* Independence
* Colonial
* Pākehā settlers
* Pākehā Māori
* Dominion
* Māori
* Military

People

* "Kiwi"
* Māori culture

Languages

* English
* Māori
* NZ Sign Language

Traditions

* Humour
* Māori mythology

Cuisine

* Alcohol
* Dishes
* Hāngī

Festivals

* Music festivals

Religion

* Christianity
* Māori religion

Art

* Architecture
* Māori art

Literature

* Māori poetry

Music and performing arts

* Kapa haka

Media

* Radio
* Television
* Cinema

Sport

* Sportspeople
* Cricket
* Cycling
* Football
* Netball
* Rugby league
* Rugby union

Monuments

* World Heritage Sites
* Heritage New Zealand

Symbols

* Flag
* Coat of arms
* National anthem
* National anthems

Organisations

* Museums and art galleries

* New Zealand portal

* v
* t
* e

Although New Zealand is a largely secular country, religion finds a place in many cultural traditions. Major Christian events like Christmas and Easter are official public holidays and are celebrated by religious and non-religious alike, as in many countries around the world. The country's national anthem, God Defend New Zealand, mentions God in both its name and its lyrics. There has been occasional controversy over the degree of separation of church and state, for example the practice of prayer and religious instruction at school assemblies.[67]

The architectural landscape of New Zealand attests to the historical importance of Christianity in New Zealand with church buildings prominent in cities, towns and the countryside.[68] Notable Cathedrals include the Anglican Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland, ChristChurch Cathedral, Christchurch and Saint Paul's Cathedral, Wellington and the Catholic St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland, Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Hamilton, Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Palmerston North, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Wellington, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch, St. Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin. The iconic Futuna Chapel was built as a Wellington retreat centre for the Catholic Marist order in 1961. The design by Māori architect John Scott, fuses Modernist and indigenous design principles.

Christian and Māori choral traditions have been blended in New Zealand to produce a distinct contribution to Christian music, including the popular hymns Whakaria Mai and Tama Ngakau Marie.[69][70] From 1992 to 2014 New Zealand hosted one of the largest Christian music festivals in the Southern Hemisphere, the Parachute Music Festival.

## Religion in politics[edit]

Brian Tamaki of the Destiny Movement has spoken out against secularist changes.

Religion has played and continues to play a 'significant and sometimes controversial role' in the politics of New Zealand.[71] Most New Zealanders today consider politicians' religious beliefs to be a private matter.[72]

### Agnostic individuals in politics[edit]

Former Prime Ministers Jacinda Ardern,[73][74] John Key and Helen Clark were agnostic.[75][76]

### Christian individuals in politics[edit]

See also: Christian politics in New Zealand

A large number of New Zealand prime ministers have been professing Christians, including Jenny Shipley, Jim Bolger, Geoffrey Palmer, David Lange, Robert Muldoon, Walter Nash, Keith Holyoake, and Michael Joseph Savage. Former Prime Minister Bill English is Catholic and has argued that religious groups should contribute to political discourse.[77]

Sir Paul Reeves, Anglican Archbishop and Primate of New Zealand from 1980 to 1985, was appointed Governor-General from 1985 to 1990.[78]

Murray Smith was a member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1972 to 1975. His interest in governance continued when he later enrolled in the Bahá’í Faith and contributed in national and international roles within the Bahá'í Community.[79][80][81]

### Christian political parties[edit]

Christian political parties have usually not gained significant support, a notable exception being the Christian Coalition (New Zealand) polling 4.4% in the 1996 general election. Christian parties have often been characterised by controversy and public disgrace. Many of these are now defunct, such as the Christian Democrat Party, the Christian Heritage Party which discontinued in 2006 after former leader Graham Capill was convicted as a child sex offender,[82] Destiny New Zealand, The Family Party and the New Zealand Pacific Party whose leader, former Labour Party MP Taito Phillip Field was convicted on bribery and corruption charges.[83] United Future was more successful, and although not a Christian party, had significant Christian backing.

The two main political parties, Labour and National, are not religious, although religious groups have at times played a significant role (e.g. the Rātana Movement). Politicians are often involved in public dialogue with religious groups.[84][85] The Exclusive Brethren gained public notoriety during the 2005 election for distributing anti-Labour pamphlets, which former National Party leader Don Brash later admitted to knowledge of.[86]

### Separation of church and state[edit]

New Zealand has no state religion or established church.[2][87] However, the following anomalies exist:

* New Zealand's head of state or monarch must declare that they are a Protestant Christian and will uphold the Protestant succession according to the declaration required by the Accession Declaration Act 1910.[88]
* Section 3 of the Act of Settlement 1700 requires that the king or queen of New Zealand must be a Protestant.[89]
* The title of the King of New Zealand includes the statement "by the Grace of God" and the title Defender of the Faith.[90]

At the discussions leading to the Treaty of Waitangi Governor Hobson made a statement (albeit one which had no particular legal or constitutional significance) in defence of freedom of religion—sometimes called the 'fourth' article.[91][92] In 2007, the government issued a National Statement on Religious Diversity containing in its first clause "New Zealand has no official or established religion."[93] The statement caused controversy in some quarters, opponents citing that New Zealand's head of state, then Queen Elizabeth II, is required to be the supreme governor of the Church of England.[94] However, Elizabeth II did not act in that capacity as the Queen of New Zealand. A poll of 501 New Zealanders in June 2007 found that 58% of respondents did not think Christianity should be New Zealand's official religion.[95]

There has been increasing recognition of Māori spirituality in political discourse and even in certain government legislation. In July 2001 MP Rodney Hide alerted parliament to a state funded hikitapu (tapu-lifting) ceremony at the opening of the foreign embassy in Bangkok. It was revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade had a standard policy of employing Māori ritual experts for the opening of official offices around the world.[96] The Resource Management Act 1991 recognises the role of Māori spiritual beliefs in planning and environmental management.[96] In 2002 local Māori expressed concerns that the development of the Auckland-Waikato expressway would disturb the taniwha, or guardian spirit, of the Waikato River, leading to delays and alterations to the project.[97]

Before March 2019, blasphemous libel was a crime in New Zealand,[98] but cases could only be prosecuted with the approval of the attorney-general, and the defence of opinion was allowed; the only prosecution, in 1922, was unsuccessful.[99] In 1967, Presbyterian minister Professor Lloyd Geering faced charges of heresy brought by the Presbyterian Church, but the trial became stalemated and was abandoned.[100]

The New Zealand Parliament opens its proceedings with a prayer. In November 2017 Christian language, including reference to Christ, was removed from the prayer.[101]

## See also[edit]

* New Zealand portal
* Religion portal

* Irreligion in New Zealand
* List of Christian organisations in New Zealand
* List of New Zealand religious leaders
* National Statement on Religious Diversity

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "2018 Census totals by topic national highlights". Statistics New Zealand. Table 26. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
2. ^ a b "Religious Diversity in New Zealand - Statement on Religious Diversity" (PDF). New Zealand Human Rights Commission and Victoria University. 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
3. ^ a b c Newman, Keith (2010). Bible & treaty : missionaries among the Māori : a new perspective. North Shore [City] N.Z.: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-320408-4. OCLC 655641724.
4. ^ Stenhouse, John. "Religion and society - Māori and religion". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
5. ^ Lincoln. Tan@Nzherald. Co. Nz @Lincolntannzh, Lincoln Tan Lincoln Tan is the New Zealand Herald's Diversity (October 2012). "Christian faiths losing out to other religions". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
6. ^ a b "Sikhs in New Zealand have quadrupled in number since 2006". 4 October 2019. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
7. ^ "Religious Affiliation". Statistics NZ Home > Methods and services > Surveys and methods > Classifications and standards > Classifications and related statistical standards >. Statistics New Zealand (www.stats.govt.nz). Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
8. ^ a b c "2018 Census totals by topic – national highlights | Stats NZ". stats.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
9. ^ a b c d "QuickStats About Culture and Identity". Statistics NZ Home > Census > 2006 Census Data > About a Subject. Statistics New Zealand (www.stats.govt.nz). Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
10. ^ a b c d New Zealand Historical Atlas (1997) McKinnon, Malcolm (Editor); David Bateman, Plate 70
11. ^ a b c d "2013 Census QuickStats about culture and identity – tables". Statistics New Zealand. 15 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
12. ^ a b Cooke, Henry (12 July 2018). "Census response rate drops as survey moves to online focus". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
13. ^ "Overview of data quality ratings, interim coverage and response rates, and data sources for 2018 Census | Stats NZ". stats.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
14. ^ "Census mess can be resolved with a new one in 2021". Stuff. 5 March 2019. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
15. ^ Huffadine, Leith (11 October 2018). "2018 Census - what happened?". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2019. "The 2018 Census had the lowest response in more than 50 years - now a team is looking for answers."
16. ^ "Head of Stats NZ Liz MacPherson resigns over botched census". Radio New Zealand. 13 August 2019. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
17. ^ Manch, Thomas (13 August 2019). "Census 2018: Chief Statistician Liz MacPherson has resigned". Stuff. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
18. ^ Whyte, Anna (13 August 2019). "Government's top statistician resigns in wake of Census 2018 debacle". 1 News Now. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
19. ^ Thomson, Barbara (1999). "Ethnic Diversity in New Zealand: a Statistical Profile" (PDF). Ethnic Affairs Service Information Series. 03. Research Unit, Department of Internal Affairs: 178, 183. ISBN 978-0-478-09244-8. ISSN 1173-7166. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
20. ^ "2013 Census QuickStats about culture and identity -- Religious affiliation". Statistics New Zealand. 15 April 2014. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
21. ^ "Faith and Belief in New Zealand" (PDF). McCrindle. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
22. ^ "Faith and Belief in New Zealand website". mccrindle.com.au. McCrindle. 28 May 2018. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
23. ^ "Faith and Belief in New Zealand Infographic" (PDF). McCrindle. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
24. ^ Sawicka, Theresa (25 March 2015). "Poles - Life in New Zealand". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020. "Catholicism has been an important focus of Polish community life. Although there is no exclusively Polish parish, the Wellington Polish Association has maintained a Polish priest attached to St Anne's Church in Newtown."
25. ^ Newman, Tim (28 November 2016). "New communities changing the religious landscape of the south". Southland Times. Invercargill: Stuff. ISSN 0112-9910. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020. "While the Catholic Church has been dealing with [...] problems of declining attendance, the growth of Southland's Filipino community has transformed many churches. [...]
According to the 2013 census, there were just under 900 Filipinos living in Southland, 95 per cent of whom identified with some form of Christianity.
Because of the demand, the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin has this month begun to perform monthly Tagalog (Filipino language) masses throughout Otago and Southland."
26. ^ Perrott, Alan (31 August 2002). "Jedi Order lures 53,000 disciples". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 16 January 2005. Retrieved 5 April 2006.
27. ^ "Jedi knights wane, migrant religions grow". The Dominion Post. 8 December 2006. Retrieved 29 May 2010. "... census general manager Nancy McBeth told The Dominion Post there were more than 20,200 followers of the force – down from 54,000 in 2001."
28. ^ King, Michael (2003). The Penguin History of New Zealand. Auckland: Penguin.
29. ^ a b "Samuel Marsden's first service". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 December 2016. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
30. ^ Orange, Claudia. "Northland places - Russell". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
31. ^ "Wesleyan mission established". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 21 December 2016. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
32. ^ Newman, Keith (2010) [2010]. Bible & Treaty, Missionaries among the Māori – a new perspective. Penguin. ISBN 978-0143204084. pp 20-116
33. ^ Simmons, E. R. (November 2010) [1990]. "Pompallier, Jean Baptiste François". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017 - via Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
34. ^ "NZCMS". New Zealand Church Missionary Society. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
35. ^ Stenhouse, John. "Religion and society - Towards a more secular society, 1970–21st century". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
36. ^ Ward, Kevin (1 April 2006). "Towards 2015: the future of mainline Protestantism in New Zealand". Journal of Beliefs & Values. 27 (1). Research Unit, Department of Internal Affairs: 13–23. doi:10.1080/13617670600594152. S2CID 162274743.
37. ^ Opie, Stephen (June 2008). Bible Engagement in New Zealand: Survey of Attitudes and Behaviour (PDF). Bible Society of New Zealand. p. 4\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
38. ^ Kitchin, Tom (2 April 2023). "The core of karakia". Newsroom. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
39. ^ "New survey reveals which religions New Zealanders trust most - and least - after Christchurch shootings". Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
40. ^ "Table 26, 2018 Census Data – Tables". Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
41. ^ Beaglehole, Ann (18 August 2015). "Immigration regulation – 1986–2003: selection on personal merit". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
42. ^ "Masjid An-Nur in Riccarton, Canterbury". salatomatic.com. Salatomatic - your guide to mosques & Islamic schools. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
43. ^ a b "The New Zealand Muslim Community". Islam in NZ. The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
44. ^ "History". fianz.co.nz. FIANZ. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
45. ^ a b Bishop, Martin C. '"A History of the Muslim Community in New Zealand to 1980", thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of M.A. in history at the University of Waikato' (Waikato University, 1997).
46. ^ Hume, Tim. "Disenchanted Maori find spiritual crutch in Islam". Sunday Star-Times. Retrieved 10 October 2009.[dead link]
47. ^ Hume, Tim (17 October 2004). "Muslim faith draws converts from NZ prisons". Sunday Star-Times. Retrieved 10 October 2009.[dead link]
48. ^ "2018 Census totals by topic – national highlights" (XLSX). Table 26. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
49. ^ "The Buddha Boom - Lifestyle News". Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
50. ^ "Buddhists". Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
51. ^ Werner, Alfred. "New Zealand". In Landman, Isaak (ed.). The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 08\. Varda Books. p. 205\. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
52. ^ "About us". Wellington Jewish Community Centre. 4 November 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
53. ^ a b Stephen Kevin, Jews in New Zealand, Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora: Origins, Experiences, and Culture (Vol. 1), p. 538
54. ^ American Jewish Year Book 2012: The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities (eds. Arnold Dashefsky & Ira M. Sheskin), p. 266.
55. ^ Levine, Stephen I. (1999). The New Zealand Jewish community. Lexington Books. p. 30\. ISBN 978-0-7391-0003-5.
56. ^ 6,636
57. ^ Elsmore, Bronwyn (22 June 2007). "Stevenson, Margaret Beveridge 1865–1941 Baha'i". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Vol. Online. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
58. ^ There isn't a definite date Felkin is considered a Baha'i except before 1914 -Arohanui Archived 26 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Introduction by Collis Featherstone.
59. ^ "New Zealand community – The first New Zealand Bahá'í". New Zealand Community. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
60. ^ Effendi, Shoghi; J. E. Esslemont (1982). Arohanui: Letters from Shoghi Effendi to New Zealand. Suva, Fiji Islands: Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Suva, Fiji Islands. pp. Appendix, ??. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
61. ^ "New Zealand community – Historical timeline". New Zealand Community. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
62. ^ Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land. "The Bahá'í Faith: 1844–1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá'í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953–1963". pp. 11, 104–5. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
63. ^ Table 28, 2006 Census Data – QuickStats About Culture and Identity – Tables Archived 11 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine.
64. ^ "About Us". The Bahá'í Community of the Kapiti Coast District of New Zealand. Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Kapiti. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
65. ^ Royal, Te Ahukaramū Charles (24 September 2007). "Te Ao Mārama – the natural world - Mana, tapu and mauri". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
66. ^ "New Zealand Gurdwaras". New Zealand Sikhs. Harpreet Singh. Archived from the original on 27 September 2008.
67. ^ "Maxim Institute: Prayer in Schools". Archived from the original on 10 November 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2007.
68. ^ John Wilson (3 March 2009). "Society – Religion and the churches". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry of Culture and Heritage. Archived from the original on 16 December 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
69. ^ "Whakaria Mai". Folksong.org.nz. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
70. ^ "The Battalion Sings 'Tama Ngakau Marie'". 28th Maori Battalion. Ministry of Culture and Heritage. 3 March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
71. ^ Rex Ahdar & John Stenhouse (2000). God and Government. Dunedin: University of Otago Press. p. 9.
72. ^ Brian Colless and Peter Donovan, 'Editor's Introduction', in Brian Colless and Peter Donovan, eds, Religion in New Zealand Society, 2nd edition, Palmerston North: Dunmore Press, 1985, p.10
73. ^ "New Zealand's prime minister left the Mormon church to support LGBT rights". The Independent. 21 October 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
74. ^ "New Zealand's leader is unmarried, pregnant, going on maternity leave". NBC News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
75. ^ NZPA (5 November 2008). "Clark and Key spar in final TV debate before election". Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
76. ^ "Insults get personal between Clark and Brash". The New Zealand Herald. 16 March 2004. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
77. ^ Church has vital place in our secular society, Challenge Weekly 66 (6), 25 February 2008, archived from the original on 4 March 2008, retrieved 1 October 2009
78. ^ "Sir Paul Reeves". The Governor-General of New Zealand. 4 August 2011. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
79. ^ Bahá’í Institutions and Global Governance An address given at the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of New Zealand, on 28 April 2007. By Murray Smith
80. ^ Dewes, Haydon; Palmer, Rebecca (31 July 2006). "Twenty New Zealanders in Haifa". The Dominion Post. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
81. ^ Halle, Charlotte. "Lots of parties, a war, some bad press and an astounding garden terrace". Archived from the original on 29 January 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
82. ^ "Capill sentenced to nine years for child sex crimes". The New Zealand Herald. 14 July 2005. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
83. ^ "Guilty verdicts for Taito Phillip Field". The New Zealand Herald. 4 August 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
84. ^ "Even politicians are popular at huge Christian music fest". The New Zealand Herald. 29 January 2007. Archived from the original on 19 February 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
85. ^ "Hindu group accused of 'hijacking' other faiths". The New Zealand Herald. 3 May 2010. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
86. ^ NZPA (8 September 2005). "Brash knew about Exclusive Brethren pamphlets". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
87. ^ O'Halloran, Kerry (2014). Religion, Charity and Human Rights. Cambridge University Press. p. 431\. ISBN 9781107020481.
88. ^ "Accession Declaration Act 1910 No 29 (as at 03 September 2007), Imperial Act Schedule – New Zealand Legislation". Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
89. ^ "Act of Settlement 1700 No 2 (as at 26 March 2015), Imperial Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation". Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
90. ^ "Royal Titles Act 1974 No 1 (as at 09 December 1976), Public Act 2 Royal style and titles – New Zealand Legislation". Archived from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
91. ^ Watkin, Tim (2 March 2003). "Article four and Hobson's choice". The New Zealand Herald.
92. ^ "The Content of the Treaty". Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2010. "The Governor says the several faiths of England, of the Wesleyans, of Rome, and also Māori custom shall be alike protected by him."
93. ^ "Statement on religious diversity". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
94. ^ Collins, Simon (17 February 2007). "Denying state religion like treason, says Brian Tamaki – New Zealand Herald 17 February 2007". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
95. ^ Research New Zealand (17 June 2007). "Limited Support for Christianity as Official Religion" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2007.
96. ^ a b Kolig, Eric (2004). "Coming through the Backdoor". In Stenhouse, John (ed.). The Future of Christianity: Historical, Sociological, Political and Theological Perspectives from New Zealand. Adelaide: AFT Press. pp. 183–204.
97. ^ "Taniwha road gets all clear". The New Zealand Herald. 2 January 2003. 8 January 2003. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
98. ^ "Crimes Act 1961, Section 123". New Zealand Government. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
99. ^ The King v. Glover (1922) GLR 185
100. ^ "Keeping faith through life's trials". The New Zealand Herald. 8 October 2006. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
101. ^ "Parliament prayer changes - no more Queen or Jesus". Stuff. 10 November 2017. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.

## Further reading[edit]

* Beattie, James; John Stenhouse (2007). "Empire, Environment and Religion: God and the Natural World in Nineteenth-Century New Zealand". Environment and History. 13 (4): 413–446. doi:10.3197/096734007X243159. ISSN 0967-3407. S2CID 84654715.
* Calderwood, David (2008). "Voice in the Wilderness: Historical Christian Attitudes to the Environment and the Emergence of A Rocha". Environment and Nature in New Zealand. 3 (2).
* Morrison, Hugh. "Globally and Locally Positioned: New Zealand Perspectives on the Current Practice of Religious History," Journal of Religious History (2011) 35#2 pp 181–198
* Simpson, Jane. "Women, Religion and Society in New Zealand: A Literature Review," Journal of Religious History (1994) 18#2 pp 198–218.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Religion in New Zealand.

* Statistics New Zealand – religion affiliation summary.
* Statistics New Zealand – full religious affiliation tables.

* v
* t
* e

New Zealand articles

History|

* Timeline
* Archaeology
* Economic history
* Military history
* Māori history
* Natural history
* Political history

* Treaty of Waitangi
* New Zealand Wars
* Women's suffrage
* New Zealand and Antarctica
* Colony
* Dominion
* Independence

Geography|

| Physical|

* Biodiversity
* Caves
* Climate
* Climate change
* Earthquakes
* Environment
* Geology
* Islands
* North Island
* South Island
* Lakes
* Mountains
* Protected areas
* Marine reserves
* National parks
* Rivers
* Volcanism
* Water

|

Cities|

* Auckland
* Christchurch
* Dunedin
* Hamilton
* Hastings
* Invercargill
* Napier
* Nelson
* New Plymouth
* Palmerston North
* Rotorua
* Tauranga
* Wellington
* capital
* Whangārei

Subdivisions|

* Regions
* Territorial authorities

Politics|

* Constitution
* Elections
* Electoral system
* Political parties
* Voting
* Foreign relations
* Gun law
* Human rights
* Disability
* Intersex
* LGBT
* Judiciary
* Supreme Court
* Chief Justice
* Law
* enforcement
* Māori politics
* Military
* Monarchy
* Official Opposition
* Parliament (House of Representatives)
* Political funding
* Public sector

Government|

* Cabinet
* list
* Governor-General
* list
* Ministers
* Prime Minister
* list

Economy|

* Agriculture
* Dairy farming
* Wine industry
* Companies
* Dollar
* Energy
* Information technology
* Manufacturing
* Mining
* Poverty
* Child poverty
* Reserve Bank
* Rogernomics
* Social welfare
* Taxation
* Telecommunications
* Tourism
* Transportation
* Rail transport

Society|

* Abortion
* Citizenship
* Crime
* Demographics
* Ethnic origins
* Gender inequality
* Education
* Euthanasia
* Gender equality
* Health
* Healthcare
* Homelessness
* Housing
* Immigration
* Irreligion
* Languages
* Māori
* New Zealand English
* New Zealand Sign Language
* LGBT issues
* Naturism
* People
* "Kiwi"
* Māori
* Women
* Prostitution
* Religion
* Structural discrimination
* Waste

Culture|

* Architecture
* Art
* Cinema
* Cuisine
* Literature
* Māori culture
* Media
* Music
* Performing arts
* Public holidays
* Radio
* Sport
* Symbols
* Television

* Outline

* Category
* Portal

* v
* t
* e

Religion in Oceania

Sovereign states|

* Australia
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Fiji
* Kiribati
* Marshall Islands
* Nauru
* New Zealand
* Palau
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Solomon Islands
* Tonga
* Tuvalu
* Vanuatu

Associated states
of New Zealand|

* Cook Islands
* Niue

Dependencies
and other territories|

* American Samoa
* Christmas Island
* Clipperton Island
* Cocos (Keeling) Islands
* Easter Island
* French Polynesia
* Guam
* Hawaii
* New Caledonia
* Norfolk Island
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Pitcairn Islands
* Tokelau
* Wallis and Futuna

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[nfd]: not further defined