Maori has been an official language of New Zealand since 1987 and was the main language until England colonised in the early 1800s. Maori make up about 15.4% of the population and only about 4% of the population speak Maori.

Proportion (%) of Māori speakers in the Māori population, by age group and sex, 2001 and 2006

	Age group (years)						Total
	Under 15	15–24	25–44	45–54	55–64	65+	(all ages)
Males
2001	18.9	22.9	24.5	31.7	45.2	55.3	24.6
2006	17.2	21.5	23.7	28.0	37.8	49.6	23.1
Females
2001	21.2	26.0	23.7	29.2	42.5	53.5	25.7
2006	18.9	24.5	24.0	27.1	34.3	47.9	24.4
Total
2001	20.0	24.5	24.1	30.4	43.8	54.3	25.2
2006	18.1	23.0	23.9	27.5	36.0	48.7	23.7