Statistics NZ has released some data on religious affiliations from the 2018 Census. They have conceded that one in six people did not complete the census, which was run online for the first time. The data, therefore, may be understated. The raw data is somewhat confusing for those who are not versed in the art of Read more
The number of people identifying with Christianity has dropped dramatically from 47.65 per cent in the 2013 census to 37.31 per cent in the latest one. The data from last year’s census, released this week, shows that 48.59 per cent of New Zealanders indicated ‘no religion’ in 2018, up from 41.92 per cent in the Read more
According to the 2018 Census the Destiny Church has 1722 adherents. To put that in context against other indigenous Christian movements, Ratana has more than 40,000, Ringatū has more than 10,000, and other individual Pentecostal Churches are far larger. Twenty thousand people put Jedi as their religion, and more than 4,000 put Church of the Read more
One in seven people did not complete the 2018 census, the first to be moved mostly online. Māori are likely to have been disproportionately affected by the new process but they have had no say in its design or implementation says Te Mana Raraunga, (TMR) the Māori Data Sovereignty Network. They think the limitations of the Read more
In the weeks before the census, the Humanist Society of New Zealand ran a national advertising campaign encouraging New Zealanders who are not religious to say so in this year’s census. Sara Passmore, President of the Humanist Society of New Zealand, said that “most people are happy living ethical and fulfilling lives without participating in a Read more
Ashburton is the most Christian place in Canterbury, while Lyttelton is one of the least religious, according to new census data. Growing Filipino and Pacific Island communities have swelled congregations in the Mid-Canterbury town, which has the biggest proportion of Christian people in the district. About 71 per cent of the 1500 people that live Read more
Declining numbers in all the mainstream churches means that Catholicism has emerged as the most populous religion in New Zealand. The 2013 New Zealand census shows that of the total population of 4.2 M, population, 3.9 M stated their religious affiliation. Of those, 1.635 M, (1 in 4), say they had no religious affiliation, up from Read more
Schools are bracing for the biggest changes to their funding in seven years, as officials measure how rich or poor their pupils’ families are. The decile ranking system is intended to compensate adequately schools whose parents cannot afford to make big donations. However, schools in rich areas are still about $1,000 a year better off for Read more
In an article on the state of the church in Christchurch, New Zealand, Anna Turner says the number of Christians in Christchurch is dropping, while those identifying as non-religious is steadily on the rise. According to the last census, many Christchurch Christians were older, with 20.6 per cent being over 65. Those who were non-religious Read more
About 150 volunteers will track down every church in their district to gather information for New Zealand’s first church census since 1926. The Church Census, which will cover all churches of all denominations or none, will be taken in March-April. New Zealand’s 72 Census Districts will be covered Massey University’s associate professor of history, Peter Read more