How many languages in new zealand
New Zealand is a linguistically diverse country with a significant number of languages spoken by its population. According to the 2018 Census, there are 175 languages spoken in New Zealand, including:
- English: 95.2% of the population speaks English as their first or second language.
- Māori: 17.5% of the population speaks Māori as their first or second language.
- Pacific languages: 7.4% of the population speaks a Pacific language (such as Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, or Niuean) as their first or second language.
- Asian languages: 6.9% of the population speaks an Asian language (such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, or Korean) as their first or second language.
- Other languages: 2.6% of the population speaks another language (such as French, German, Italian, or Spanish) as their first or second language.
Some of the most common languages spoken in New Zealand, excluding English, are:
- Māori: 157,000 speakers
- Samoan: 134,000 speakers
- Hindi: 93,000 speakers
- Mandarin: 73,000 speakers
- French: 64,000 speakers
- Tagalog: 56,000 speakers
- Arabic: 54,000 speakers
- Cantonese: 46,000 speakers
- Korean: 44,000 speakers
- Spanish: 43,000 speakers
It's worth noting that these numbers are based on the 2018 Census, and the actual number of languages spoken in New Zealand may be higher due to the diversity of languages spoken by immigrant communities and the increasing number of languages being spoken in the country.