Most regions are recording increases in the proportion of Maori but Auckland is bucking the trend, new statistics show.
Statistics New Zealand has released its latest Census information on people who identify with what it calls the Maori ethnic group.
The percentage of Maori in living in Auckland has dropped, from 11.1 percent of the city's population to 10.7 percent, but there have been increases elsewhere.
The two areas leading the gains were Gisborne and Taranaki; Maori accounted for 48.9 percent of Gisborne's population, up from 47.3 percent, and 17.4 percent of Taranaki's, up from 15.8 percent.
Bay of Plenty was the only region to record no change to the proportion of Maori since the last Census, staying at 27.5 percent.
Nationally, the number of people who identified with Maori ethnicity has increased 6 percent to 561,333.
The figures are used by local and central government to help them plan to cater for different communities.
