Between 2013 and 2018, the Māori population grew by 30 percent, and the number of Māori in employment grew by a massive 47 percent. More and more Māori are joining the labour force each year and, at least prior to the disruption of COVID-19, they were finding successful employment at the highest rate in almost a decade (Stats NZ 2018).
The Māori population is expected to continue to grow. Māori are young, and they’re growing their families faster than the average for Aotearoa. Currently, Māori represent 17 percent of the population. By 2038, that share is projected to grow to nearly 20 percent (Stats NZ 2017). 9  All of these trends are described in great detail in Berl’s report.