Languages of New Zealand - wikipedia Languages of New Zealand Languages of New Zealand Official languages Māori ( 3.7 % ) New Zealand Sign Language Main languages New Zealand English ( 96.1 % ) Indigenous languages Māori Main immigrant languages Samoan ( 2.2 % ) Hindi ( 1.7 % ) Mandarin Chinese ( 1.3 % ) French ( 1.2 % ) Sign languages New Zealand Sign Language Common keyboard layouts QWERTY Source 2013 New Zealand census English is the de facto official and predominant language of New Zealand. Almost the entire population speak it either as native speakers or proficiently as a second language. The New Zealand English dialect is most similar to Australian English in pronunciation, with some key differences. The Māori language ( te reo Māori ) of the indigenous Māori people was made the first de jure official language in 1987. New Zealand Sign Language ( NZSL ) has also been officially recognised since 2006. Many other languages are used by New Zealand 's minority ethnic communities. Contents 1 Official status of languages 1.1 English 1.2 Māori 1.3 NZ Sign Language 2 Immigrant languages 3 Statistics 4 See also 5 Footnotes 6 Bibliography 7 External links Official status of languages English Further information : New Zealand English English is New Zealand 's official language. It is the primary language used for court proceedings, and statutes and other official pronouncements. English is spoken by 96.1 percent of the population. New Zealand English is mostly non-rhotic with an exception being the Southern Burr found principally in Southland and parts of Otago. It is similar to Australian English and many speakers from the Northern Hemisphere are unable to tell the two accents apart. In New Zealand English the short i ( as in kit ) has become centralised, leading to the phrase fish and chips sounding like `` fush and chups '' to the Australian ear. The words rarely and really, reel and real, doll and dole, pull and pool, witch and which, and full and fill can sometimes be pronounced as homophones. Some New Zealanders pronounce the past participles grown, thrown and mown using two syllables, whereas groan, throne and moan are pronounced as one syllable. New Zealanders often reply to a question or emphasise a point by adding a rising intonation at the end of the sentence. New Zealand English has also borrowed words and phrases from Māori, such as haka ( war dance ), kia ora ( a greeting ), mana ( power or prestige ), puku ( stomach ), taonga ( treasure ) and waka ( canoe ). On 2018 February, Clayton Mitchell MP from New Zealand First led a campaign for English to be recognised as an official language in New Zealand. Māori See also : Māori language revival A bilingual sign outside the National Library of New Zealand uses the contemporary Māori name for New Zealand, Aotearoa. An Eastern Polynesian language, te reo Māori is closely related to Tahitian and Cook Islands Māori. It is only recently that te reo Māori has gathered widespread support. After the Second World War, Māori were discouraged from speaking their language in schools and workplaces and it existed as a community language only in a few remote areas. However, since the 1970s, the language has undergone a process of revitalisation and is spoken by a larger number of people. Te reo Māori now has official status, with rights and obligations to use it defined by the Maori Language Act 1987. It can, for example, be used in legal settings, such as in court. However, the proceedings are only recorded in English unless private arrangements are made and agreed by the judge. Of the 148,395 people ( or 3.7 percent of the total New Zealand population ) who claimed they could hold a conversation in te reo Māori in 2013, 84.5 percent identified as Māori. No adult Māori alive in New Zealand today does not also speak English. Nz Sign language People who can use New Zealand Sign Language, 2001, 2006 and 2013 censuses New Zealand Sign Language also has official status by virtue of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. It is now legal to use it and have access to it in legal proceedings and government services. In 2013, 20,235 people reported the ability to use New Zealand Sign Language. Immigrant languages See also : List of ethnic origins of New Zealanders New Zealand has immigrants from European, Asian and Pacific Island countries who have brought their languages with them. According to Ethnologue ( as of 2017 ), the largest groups are Samoan ( 86,400 ), Hindi ( 66,300 ), Mandarin Chinese ( 52,300 ), French ( 49,100 ) and Yue Chinese ( 44,600 ). In the 2013 census, about 87,534 people did not include English as one of their spoken languages. The number and proportion of multilingual ( people who can speak two or more languages ) has continued to increase since the 2001 census. In 2013, the number of multilingual people was 737,910, or 18.6 percent of the population. The highest numbers of multilingual speakers lived in the Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury regions. Statistics In the 2013 census, the following languages were reportedly spoken by more than 0.1 percent of the population. People could report more than one language, therefore percentages do not add up to 100. Statistics necessarily exclude unusable responses and those who spoke no language ( e.g. too young to talk ). Language Number Percentage Change ( 2006 -- 13 ) English ( New Zealand English ) 7006381996900000000 ♠ 3,819,969 96.14 6999240000000000000 ♠ + 0.24 Māori 7005148395000000000 ♠ 148,395 3.73 3000630000000000000 ♠ − 0.37 Samoan 7004864030000000000 ♠ 86,403 2.17 3001400000000000000 ♠ − 0.06 Hindi 7004663090000000000 ♠ 66,309 1.67 6999510000000000000 ♠ + 0.51 Mandarin Chinese 7004522630000000000 ♠ 52,263 1.32 6999240000000000000 ♠ + 0.24 French 7004491250000000000 ♠ 49,125 1.24 3000840000000000000 ♠ − 0.16 Yue Chinese ( Cantonese ) 7004446250000000000 ♠ 44,625 1.12 3001700000000000000 ♠ − 0.03 Chinese ( not further defined ) 7004427530000000000 ♠ 42,753 1.08 6998900000000000000 ♠ + 0.09 German 7004366420000000000 ♠ 36,642 0.92 3001400000000000000 ♠ − 0.06 Tongan 7004318390000000000 ♠ 31,839 0.80 6998300000000000000 ♠ + 0.03 Tagalog 7004290160000000000 ♠ 29,016 0.73 6999400000000000000 ♠ + 0.40 Afrikaans 7004273870000000000 ♠ 27,387 0.69 6999140000000000000 ♠ + 0.14 Spanish 7004269790000000000 ♠ 26,979 0.68 6999120000000000000 ♠ + 0.12 Korean 7004263730000000000 ♠ 26,373 0.66 3001600000000000000 ♠ − 0.04 Dutch 7004240060000000000 ♠ 24,006 0.60 3000900000000000000 ♠ − 0.10 New Zealand Sign Language 7004202350000000000 ♠ 20,235 0.51 3000880000000000000 ♠ − 0.12 Japanese 7004201480000000000 ♠ 20,148 0.51 3001600000000000000 ♠ − 0.04 Punjabi 7004197520000000000 ♠ 19,752 0.50 6999220000000000000 ♠ + 0.22 Gujarati 7004175020000000000 ♠ 17,502 0.44 6998300000000000000 ♠ + 0.03 Arabic 7004107460000000000 ♠ 10,746 0.27 6998100000000000000 ♠ + 0.01 Russian 7003942600000000000 ♠ 9,426 0.24 6998300000000000000 ♠ + 0.03 Italian 7003821400000000000 ♠ 8,214 0.21 3001900000000000000 ♠ − 0.01 Cook Islands Māori 7003812400000000000 ♠ 8,124 0.20 3001500000000000000 ♠ − 0.05 Thai 7003759900000000000 ♠ 7,599 0.19 6998300000000000000 ♠ + 0.03 Tamil 7003684000000000000 ♠ 6,840 0.17 6998200000000000000 ♠ + 0.02 Malaysian 7003678900000000000 ♠ 6,789 0.17 3001900000000000000 ♠ − 0.01 Khmer 7003672900000000000 ♠ 6,729 0.17 6998100000000000000 ♠ + 0.01 Fijian 7003627300000000000 ♠ 6,273 0.16 6998300000000000000 ♠ + 0.03 Vietnamese 7003537600000000000 ♠ 5,376 0.14 6998300000000000000 ♠ + 0.03 Serbo - Croatian 7003534900000000000 ♠ 5,349 0.13 3001700000000000000 ♠ − 0.03 Sinhala 7003522000000000000 ♠ 5,220 0.13 6998300000000000000 ♠ + 0.03 Min Chinese 7003516600000000000 ♠ 5,166 0.13 3001800000000000000 ♠ − 0.02 Persian 7003506100000000000 ♠ 5,061 0.13 6998200000000000000 ♠ + 0.02 Urdu 7003504600000000000 ♠ 5,046 0.13 6998200000000000000 ♠ + 0.02 Bahasa Indonesia 7003488100000000000 ♠ 4,881 0.12 5000000000000000000 ♠ 0.00 Niuean 7003454800000000000 ♠ 4,548 0.11 3001700000000000000 ♠ − 0.03 Malayalam 7003436500000000000 ♠ 4,365 0.11 6998500000000000000 ♠ + 0.05 None ( e.g. young children ) 7004675090000000000 ♠ 67,509 1.70 3000730000000000000 ♠ − 0.27 See also Cook Islands Māori, spoken in the New Zealand dependency of the Cook Islands Niuean language spoken in Niue List of territorial entities where English is an official language Footnotes ^ Jump up to : `` 2013 Census QuickStats about culture and identity -- Languages spoken ''. Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 8 September 2016. Jump up ^ Bardsley, Dianne ( 5 September 2013 ). `` English language in New Zealand - Characteristics of New Zealand English ''. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 28 November 2017. English, te reo Māori ( the Māori language ) and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages of New Zealand. Jump up ^ New Zealand Government ( 21 December 2007 ). International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Fifth Periodic Report of the Government of New Zealand ( PDF ) ( Report ). p. 89. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2015. In addition to the Māori language, New Zealand Sign Language is also an official language of New Zealand. The New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 permits the use of NZSL in legal proceedings, facilitates competency standards for its interpretation and guides government departments in its promotion and use. English, the medium for teaching and learning in most schools, is a de facto official language by virtue of its widespread use. For these reasons, these three languages have special mention in the New Zealand Curriculum. Jump up ^ `` New Zealand 's official languages ''. www.hrc.co.nz. Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 28 November 2017. ^ Jump up to : Kortmann et al. 2004, p. 605. Jump up ^ Hay, Maclagan & Gordon 2008, p. 14. Jump up ^ Crystal 2003. Jump up ^ Kortmann et al. 2004, p. 582, 589, 592, 610. Jump up ^ Trudgill, Peter and Jean Hannah. ( 2002 ). International English : A Guide to the Varieties of Standard English, 4th ed. London : Arnold., p 24. Jump up ^ Kortmann et al. 2004, p. 611. Jump up ^ Crystal 2003, p. 355. Jump up ^ Bardsley, Dianne ( September 2013 ). `` English language in New Zealand -- Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand ''. Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 September 2017. Jump up ^ `` Māori Words used in New Zealand English - Māori Language.net ''. Māori Language.net. Retrieved 2 September 2017. Jump up ^ http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/02/nz-first-submits-bill-for-english-to-be-recognised-as-official-language.html Jump up ^ http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1802/S00143/nz-first-bill-english-set-to-become-official.htm Jump up ^ `` Austronesian languages ''. Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 September 2017. Jump up ^ Phillips, Jock ( March 2009 ). `` The New Zealanders -- Bicultural New Zealand ''. Te Ara -- the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 21 January 2011. Jump up ^ `` Māori Language Week -- Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori ''. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 2 September 2017. Jump up ^ Squires, Nick ( May 2005 ). `` British influence ebbs as New Zealand takes to talking Maori ''. The Telegraph. Great Britain. Jump up ^ `` Waitangi Tribunal claim -- Māori Language Week ''. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. July 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2011. Jump up ^ `` Māori language speakers ''. Statistics New Zealand. 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2017. Jump up ^ Keegan, Peter ( 5 June 2018 ). `` FAQ about the Māori Language ''. Māori Language Information. Retrieved 4 July 2018. All ( adult ) Māori speakers can also speak English. Jump up ^ `` New Zealand Sign Language Bill 2006 ''. Retrieved 30 August 2017. Jump up ^ Governor - General gives assent to Sign Language Bill, Press Release : Governor General, 10 April 2006. Retrieved 11 April 2006. Jump up ^ Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. ( ed. ) ( 2017 ). `` Languages of New Zealand ''. Ethnologue : Languages of the World, ( 20th ed. ). Dallas, Texas : SIL International. Retrieved 2 September 2017. CS1 maint : Extra text : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ `` 2013 Census totals by topic ''. Statistics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013. Bibliography Crystal, David ( 2003 ). The Cambridge encyclopedia of the English language ( 2nd ed. ). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521530330. Hay, Jennifer ; Maclagan, Margaret ; Gordon, Elizabeth ( 2008 ). Dialects of English : New Zealand English. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748625291. Kortmann, Bernd ; Schneider, Edgar ; Burridge, Kate ; Mesthrie, Rajend ; Upton, Clive ( 2004 ). A handbook of varieties of English. Berlin : Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 978 - 3 - 11 - 017532 - 5. External links Languages of New Zealand at Ethnologue : Languages of the World Languages of the Realm of New Zealand Major language English New Zealand English Indigenous languages Cook Islands Māori New Zealand Māori Moriori Niuean Penrhyn Pukapukan Rakahanga - Manihiki Tokelauan Immigrant languages Chinese Cantonese Mandarin French Hindi Fiji Hindi Kiribati Rotuman Samoan Tongan Tuvaluan Sign languages New Zealand Sign Language New Zealand articles History Timeline Military history Treaty of Waitangi New Zealand Wars Women 's suffrage New Zealand and Antarctica Colony Dominion Independence Geography Biodiversity Caves Climate Earthquakes Environment Geology Islands North Island South Island Lakes Marine reserves National parks Rivers Time zones Cities Auckland Christchurch Dunedin Hamilton Hastings Invercargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth Palmerston North Rotorua Tauranga Wellington capital Subdivisions Regions Territorial authorities Politics Constitution Elections Electoral system Political parties Foreign relations Human rights Disability Intersex LGBT Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice Law enforcement Military Monarchy Parliament ( House of Representatives ) Government Cabinet Governor - General list Ministers Prime Minister list Economy Agriculture Dairy farming Wine industry Companies Energy Mining Poverty Reserve Bank Rogernomics Taxation Telecommunications Tourism Transportation Welfare Society Citizenship Crime Demographics Ethnic origins Education Health care Homelessness Immigration Languages Māori New Zealand English New Zealand Sign Language LGBT issues People `` Kiwi '' Māori Women Culture Architecture Art Cinema Cuisine Literature Māori culture Media Music National symbols Coat of arms Flag Public holidays Radio Religion Sport Television Outline Book Portal Languages of Oceania Sovereign states Australia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Associated states of New Zealand Cook Islands Niue Dependencies and other territories American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos ( Keeling ) Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Languages_of_New_Zealand&oldid=848811599 '' Categories : Languages of New Zealand Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Extra text : authors list Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2017 All articles containing potentially dated statements Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages বাংলা Français Ilokano Edit links This page was last edited on 4 July 2018, at 13 : 49 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: in new zealand what language do they speak
Answer: English