Languages of New Zealand
New Zealand has three official languages; English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In 1987, the Māori Language Act made the Māori language the second official language of New Zealand. It also formed the Māori Language Commission (Māori: Te Taura Whiri o te Reo Māori, often shortened to Te Taura Whiri[1]).
Most common languages
English is the primary language of New Zealand. The 10 most common languages other hand English are listed below. Please note that the statistics may not be 100% accurate, as people could report speaking more than one language.
| Number | Language | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Māori | 3.9% |
| 2 | Samoan | 2.17% |
| 3 | Mandarin | 2.03% |
| 4 | Hindi | 1.4% |
| 5 | French | 1.1% |
| 6 | Cantonese | 1.1% |
| 7 | Chinese (not further defined) | 1.1% |
| 8 | Tagalog | 0.9% |
| 9 | German | 0.8% |
| 10 | Spanish | 0.8% |
Languages Of New Zealand Media
ANSI "United States" keyboard layout
A bilingual sign outside the National Library of New Zealand uses the contemporary Māori name for New Zealand, Aotearoa.
- 2013 NZ census people who can use New Zealand Sign Language.gif
People who can use New Zealand Sign Language, 2001, 2006 and 2013 censuses
