New Zealand’s population is changing and we need to be ready to face the challenges that come with it, according to a new review.
Our Futures: Te Pae Tawhiti, released today by an expert panel of the Royal Society of New Zealand, pulls together the latest data from the 2013 census and expert input to identify the trends that will shape the future of New Zealand. The review identifies seven key themes in its analysis of New Zealand’s changing population and explores future implications of changes in these areas. These seven key themes are: diversity, population change, tangata whenua, migration, households and families, regional variation, and work.
Professor Gary Hawke, chair of the panel, says the review is unique in that it is multi-disciplinary and focused on the big picture.
“We wanted to highlight what an evolving New Zealand society might look like, what is underlying these changes, and the challenges and opportunities these present.”
The full report and associated materials, including a video interview with Prof Hawke, are available on the Royal Society of New Zealand website.
The review and its findings have been widely covered in the New Zealand media. Examples include:
New Zealand Herald: NZ population growth may be dependent on immigration – study
Newstalk ZB: Signs Maori language may be in danger
3 News: Rural elderly communities to struggle – report
Newstalk ZB: Census data reveals rapidly changing NZ culture
New Zealand Herald: One nation with many faces
MSN NZ News: Older rural communities to suffer: report
The Press: ‘Sandwich’ generation feel squeezed
Otago Daily Times: Regional imbalance getting worse
Dominion Post: Red-zoned provinces
The Royal Society of New Zealand has produced an infographic summarising the reviews findings.
