Christianity in New Zealand

Christianity in New Zealand dates to the arrival of missionaries from the Church Missionary Society who were welcomed onto the beach at Rangihoua Bay in December 1814. Christianity soon became the predominant belief amongst the indigenous people, with over half of Māori regularly attending church services within the first 30 years. It remains New Zealand's largest religious group, but no one denomination is dominant and there is no official state church. According to the 2018 census 38.17% of the population identified as Christian. The largest Christian groups are Catholic, Anglican, and Presbyterian. Christian organisations are the leading non-government providers of social services in New Zealand.