Ethnicity Data Quality for Small Populations in Aotearoa New Zealand: The 2023 Census and Fijian Indians

Accurate ethnicity data is essential for understanding the size and needs of communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Potential misclassification of Fijian and Fijian Indian ethnicity has been identified in census and administrative collections, affecting the visibility of these groups in population statistics. Using 2023 Census data available in the Integrated Data Infrastructure, this study applies census variables relating to birthplace, parental ethnicity, and language to identify people who may belong to the Fijian Indian population in addition to those recorded with the Fijian Indian ethnicity code. The 2023 Census recorded 23,808 people with Fijian Indian ethnicity, while the combined-variable approach identified an estimated 75,024 people. This result is consistent with analysis of the 2018 Census, which identified an estimated 73,056 people. Findings suggest that the recorded ethnicity code captures only part of the wider population and that visibility depends on how the ethnicity standard is implemented across census and administrative collections. Because administrative data lacks the level of detail needed to identify small groups, it is likely to provide a less complete view than census-based approaches. Using multiple census variables provides a more complete view of the Fijian Indian population and highlights the importance of consistently implementing the ethnicity standard.