German New Zealanders


German New Zealanders are New Zealand residents of ethnic German ancestry. The German community constitute one of the largest European ethnic groups in New Zealand, numbering 12,810 in the 2013 census.

Demography

The 2013 census counted 12,810 New Zealand residents who had ancestry from Germany. This number does not include people of German ancestry who selected their ancestry as simply "New Zealander". Today the number of New Zealanders with German ancestry is estimated to be approximately 200,000. Many German New Zealanders anglicized their names during the 20th century due to the negative perception of Germans fostered by World War I and World War II.
In 2013, the German language was spoken at home by 36,642 persons in New Zealand. German is the ninth most widely spoken language in the country after English, Māori, Samoan, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, French, Cantonese, and Chinese.

Tourism

New Zealand has long been a popular destination for German backpacker tourists and students.

German New Zealand culture

The Goethe-Institut is active in New Zealand and there is a branch in Wellington.

Notable German New Zealanders