African New Zealanders

African New Zealanders
Total population
15,849 (2018)
0.3% of New Zealand's population
Regions with significant populations
Auckland Region
Languages
New Zealand English, languages of Africa
Religion
Christianity, Islam, Traditional African religions

New Zealanders of sub-Saharan African descent represent less than 0.3% of New Zealand's population, although the number has been growing substantially since the 1990s.

In the early 20th century, a small number of sub-Saharan African students and professionals came to New Zealand to study or work. In the 1960s and 1970s, larger numbers of sub-Saharan African immigrants arrived in New Zealand, including refugees from countries such as Zambia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Today, African New Zealanders make up a small but growing portion of the New Zealand population. According to the 2018 New Zealand Census, there were 16,890 people in New Zealand who identified as being of sub-Saharan African ancestry.