Lebanese New Zealanders

Lebanese New Zealanders
Total population
1,278 (2018 Census)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Auckland and Wellington
Languages
Arabic (Lebanese Arabic), English (New Zealand English)
Religion
Majority: Christian: Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Protestant Minority: Islam: Shia Islam, Sunni Islam, Alawite, Jewish and Druze
Related ethnic groups
Lebanese British, Lebanese Americans, Lebanese Canadians, Lebanese Australians

Lebanese New Zealanders refers to citizens or permanent residents of New Zealand of Lebanese ancestry. The community is diverse, having a large Christian religious base, being mostly Maronite Catholics and Greek Orthodox, while also having a small Muslim group of both the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam.

Lebanon, in both its modern-day form as the Lebanese state (declared in 1920, granted independence in 1943) and its historical form as the region of the Lebanon, has been a source of migrants to New Zealand for over two centuries. According to 2018 census, 1,278 Lebanese-descent people in New Zealand, with most of all people with Lebanese ancestry living in Auckland Region (46.0 percent), followed by the Wellington Region (21.8 percent), and the Otago Region (8.5 percent).[1] Furthermore, 71.4 percent were born in New Zealand, up from 68.4 percent in 2013.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "Lebanese ethnic group". stats.govt.nz. New Zealand government. 2018.