Bay of Plenty – decrease in smoking and religion

4 February 2014

Latest results from the 2013 Census show that Bay of Plenty is home to fewer smokers and religious people than in 2006.

2013 Census regional summary tables – part 2, released today, gives an interesting impression of Bay of Plenty region and its districts.

“For instance, there was a 22.8 percent decrease in the total number of regular smokers in Bay of Plenty since the 2006 Census, which is in line with the 22.9 percent fall nationally. In 2006, 23.6 percent of adults in the region were regular smokers. By 2013 that proportion had dropped to 17.4 percent,” Census Statistics Manager Gareth Meech said.

Among people aged 15–19 years the change was particularly significant. Bay of Plenty had 1,809 fewer regular smokers in this age group than it did in 2006 – a decrease of 46.2 percent.

In line with national trends, the number of people in Bay of Plenty who identified with a religion in the census had dropped since 2006. In 2013, 7.7 percent fewer people indicated a religious affiliation, and there was a 25.1 percent increase in the number of people who checked the ‘no religion’ box.

In 2013, the largest iwi for Bay of Plenty people of Māori descent was the Te Arawa grouping, with 17,043 people, followed by Tūhoe, with 11,127 people.

“This local breakdown of census information is some of the most important, as it will help communities and service providers plan for the future,” Mr Meech said. “Providers of local services such as health, education, community, and recreational facilities can use census data to form a picture of the region and what it needs to succeed.”

2013 Census regional summary tables – part 2 has more information on topics such as religion, relationship status, occupation, and smoking.

ENDS

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