Sense of Belonging to New Zealand Strong Among Migrants

Sense of Belonging to New Zealand Strong Among Migrants
Media release

6 May 2013

The vast majority of migrants to New Zealand feel they belong to this country, new analysis from Statistics New Zealand shows.

New data tables published today from the New Zealand General Social Survey show that 86 percent of migrants (407,000 people) who have been in New Zealand for more than 12 years say they belong either ‘strongly’ or ‘very strongly’ to New Zealand. Of people who have been in the country 12 years or less, 64 percent (288,000 people) say the same thing.

This compares with 95 percent of New Zealand-born people with New Zealand-born parents (1.66 million people), and 93 percent of New Zealand-born people with at least one overseas-born parent (611,000 people), who say they belong strongly or very strongly to the country.

“How strongly a person feels connected to the country can affect their participation in society, such as whether they vote," New Zealand General Social Survey manager Philip Walker said.

"The survey data shows that the proportion of long-term migrants who voted during the 2008 general election was higher than that of any other group, including New Zealand-born people," Mr Walker said.

The differences in voting rates at the 2008 general election were:
• 86 percent (or 406,000 people) of long-term migrants (in New Zealand for more than 12 years) voted
• 78 percent of New Zealand born people with New Zealand born parents (1.37 million people) voted
• 77 percent of New Zealand born people with at least one overseas born parent (504,000) people voted
• 48 percent (or 215,000 people) of recent migrants (in New Zealand for 12 or less years) voted. (A small number of recent migrants would not have voted because they were ineligible to do so at the time.)

The tables published today also include data on participation in formal voluntary work, rates of voting in local area elections, and trust in government for different groups of New Zealanders, including ethnic groups, age groups, and families.

The tables are available from the New Zealand General Social Survey 2010 NZ.Stat tables page.

ENDS

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