The population of New Zealand is mostly of European descent, with the indigenous Mâori being the largest minority.

Non-Mâori, Polynesian and Asian people are also significant minorities, especially in the cities.

New Zealand has a population of about 4.1 million, of which approximately 78% identify with European ethnic groups or simply as a New Zealander.

New Zealanders of European descent are collectively known as Pâkehâ; this term is used variously and some Mâori use it to refer to all non-Mâori New Zealanders.

Most European New Zealanders are of British and Irish ancestry, although there has been significant Dutch, South Slav, Italian, German immigration together with indirect European immigration through Australia, South Africa and North America.

At present, immigrants from the United Kingdom constitute the largest single group (28%) but immigrants are drawn from many nations, and increasingly from South Africa and Northeast Asia (mostly China, but with substantial numbers also from Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong)