# New Zealand (Somali diaspora)

> 2,376 people of Somali ethnicity in New Zealand's 2023 census. Refugee quota arrivals since 1993, Hamilton, work, income and the 2019 Christchurch attacks.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/diaspora/new-zealand/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## How many Somalis live in New Zealand?

Stats NZ counted 2,376 people of Somali ethnicity in the 2023 census ([Stats NZ, Somali ethnic group summary](https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/2018-census-ethnic-group-summaries/somali)). The count was 1,614 in 2013 and 1,701 in 2018 (same source). People can name more than one ethnic group, and 93.8% of the Somali group named only one in 2023.

Of the 2,376, 924 (39.2%) were born in New Zealand and 1,344 (57.1%) in the Middle East and Africa ([Stats NZ](https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/2018-census-ethnic-group-summaries/somali)). The summary groups birthplaces by region, so it does not give a separate figure for Somalia.

UNHCR counted 8 refugees from Somalia in New Zealand at the end of 2025 ([UNHCR Refugee Data Finder API, New Zealand](https://api.unhcr.org/population/v1/population/?limit=200&yearFrom=1985&yearTo=2025&coo=SOM&coa=NZL)). That count covers only people who still hold refugee status.

## Where in New Zealand do Somalis live?

The 2023 census placed people of Somali ethnicity in four regions ([Stats NZ](https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/2018-census-ethnic-group-summaries/somali)):

- **Auckland:** 777 (32.7%). The largest group, 282, lived in the Puketāpapa local board area.
- **Waikato:** 702 (29.5%), centred on Hamilton.
- **Wellington:** 510 (21.5%).
- **Canterbury:** 330 (13.9%), centred on Christchurch.

Few lived anywhere else. No other region had more than 15.

## How did Somalis come to New Zealand?

Most came through New Zealand's refugee quota, which resettles refugees chosen with UNHCR. UNHCR records 1,464 Somali refugees resettled to New Zealand from 1993 to 2002, and 2,096 from 1993 to 2025 ([UNHCR solutions API, New Zealand](https://api.unhcr.org/population/v1/solutions/?limit=200&yearFrom=1990&yearTo=2025&coo=SOM&coa=NZL)). The largest years were 1994 (309) and 1996 (299).

The first group reached Hamilton in July 1993. The Waikato Muslim Association records that 36 Somali refugees arrived then, brought by the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Muslim Association and the Hamilton Refugee Migrant Service ([Waikato Muslim Association, Brief History](https://www.waikatomuslims.org.nz/site_files/24835/upload_files/BriefHistoryofWaikatoMuslimAssociation.pdf?dl=1)). By its account about 100 lived in Hamilton by 1995, 115 more came in 1997, and over 800 lived there by 2001.

Those 800 were about a third of the region's Muslims, and their arrival led the association to plan a larger mosque from 1996 (same source). When the unfinished building was vandalised in 1997, young Somali men guarded it at night, the history records.

Arrivals slowed after 2003, to 5 to 42 a year until 2015 ([UNHCR solutions API](https://api.unhcr.org/population/v1/solutions/?limit=200&yearFrom=1990&yearTo=2025&coo=SOM&coa=NZL)). Total quota arrivals of all nationalities rose from 1,017 in 2016-17 to 1,507 in 2022-23, and Somali arrivals rose with them ([INZ, September 2026](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assets/inz/documents/statistics/INZ-refugee-statistics-pack-for-September-2026.pdf)).

## How many Somalis arrive under the quota now?

Immigration New Zealand counts quota arrivals by financial year, July to June. Somali arrivals were ([INZ, Refugee and Protection Statistics Pack, September 2026](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assets/inz/documents/statistics/INZ-refugee-statistics-pack-for-September-2026.pdf)):

- 2016-17: 12
- 2019-20: 13
- 2021-22: 60
- 2022-23: 123
- 2023-24: 93
- 2024-25: 47
- 2025-26: 27
- 2026-27, to 30 September: 11

INZ lists Somalia as the second-largest nationality settled in Christchurch over the last five financial years, after Afghanistan (same source). Another 300 Somalis arrived from 2016-17 to September 2026 through the Refugee Family Support Category, which lets refugees already in New Zealand sponsor relatives (same source).

## Do Somalis in New Zealand have work?

Fewer than half of adults were in paid work at the 2023 census. Of people aged 15 and over, 24.2% worked full-time, 12.0% part-time and 10.8% were unemployed ([Stats NZ](https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/2018-census-ethnic-group-summaries/somali)). The other 52.7% were not in the labour force, which includes students, carers and retired people.

Other 2023 census figures for the Somali group, against all New Zealanders ([Stats NZ](https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/2018-census-ethnic-group-summaries/somali)):

- **Median adult income:** $16,700, against $41,500.
- **Post-school qualification:** 34.9% of adults, against 54%.
- **Own their home:** 4.6% of adults, against 51.3%.
- **Median age:** 21.5 years, against 38.1. 38% were under 15.

Faith and language are shared. In 2023, 92.4% of the Somali group gave their religion as Islam, 80.8% spoke English, and 46.2% spoke more than one language (same source).

## What happened to Somalis in the 2019 Christchurch attacks?

A gunman attacked the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch on 15 March 2019. Somalia's foreign minister told the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation that the attack killed 50 people, and that 5 Somali New Zealanders were among them, including a 5-year-old child ([Garowe Online, 23 March 2019](https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somalia-fm-describes-new-zealand-pm-as-exceptional-leader)).

Afterwards, Immigration New Zealand issued 216 emergency visitor visas to overseas relatives of people directly affected, Stuff reported ([Stuff via Hiiraan Online, 2 August 2020](https://hiiraan.com/news4/2020/Aug/179353/somali_mosque_attack_victims_helpless_to_get_family_to_nz_before_sentencing.aspx)). Five injured or bereaved Somali survivors said they had spent 16 months trying to bring relatives over. A major obstacle, they said, was that New Zealand did not recognise Somali passports (same source).

## How is the community organised?

The early community grew around mosques. In Hamilton, a Somali refugee later led the Waikato Muslim Association as president for many years, until 2015 ([Waikato Muslim Association](https://www.waikatomuslims.org.nz/site_files/24835/upload_files/BriefHistoryofWaikatoMuslimAssociation.pdf?dl=1)).

A 1999 Victoria University of Wellington study by a Somali researcher looked at how cultural identity affected the adaptation and well-being of Somali refugees in New Zealand ([Bihi, Victoria University of Wellington, 1999](https://ir.wgtn.ac.nz/handle/123456789/23550)). It describes itself as filling a research gap on Somali refugees in the country.

## How are Somalis in New Zealand tied to home?

Family links shape new arrivals: the 300 Somali family-support arrivals since 2016-17 were sponsored by relatives already in New Zealand ([INZ, September 2026](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assets/inz/documents/statistics/INZ-refugee-statistics-pack-for-September-2026.pdf)). Individuals abroad sent Somalia US$3.13 billion in 2025, about 24% of the economy, by the central bank's count ([Central Bank of Somalia, Annual Report 2025](https://centralbank.gov.so/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Annual-Report_2025.pdf)).

For the wider picture, see [Life after leaving](/en/diaspora/life-after-leaving/) and [Refugee papers and status](/en/diaspora/refugee-papers-and-status/).

## Related pages

- [Somali diaspora hub](/en/diaspora/)
- [Australia (Somali diaspora)](/en/diaspora/australia/)
- [Malaysia (Somali diaspora)](/en/diaspora/malaysia/)
- [Refugee camps](/en/diaspora/refugee-camps/)
- [Why and how Somalis left](/en/diaspora/why-and-how-somalis-left/)
- [Somali refugees by the numbers](/en/diaspora/somali-refugees-by-the-numbers/)

## Sources

1. Stats NZ. "Somali ethnic group summary," 2013, 2018 and 2023 Censuses. [stats.govt.nz](https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/2018-census-ethnic-group-summaries/somali). Checked 12 November 2026.
2. UNHCR. Refugee Data Finder API, Somalia to New Zealand, 1985 to 2025. [api.unhcr.org](https://api.unhcr.org/population/v1/population/?limit=200&yearFrom=1985&yearTo=2025&coo=SOM&coa=NZL). Checked 12 November 2026.
3. UNHCR. Refugee Data Finder API, solutions (resettlement), Somalia to New Zealand, 1990 to 2025. [api.unhcr.org](https://api.unhcr.org/population/v1/solutions/?limit=200&yearFrom=1990&yearTo=2025&coo=SOM&coa=NZL). Checked 12 November 2026.
4. Immigration New Zealand. "Refugee and Protection Statistics Pack," current to 30 September 2026. [immigration.govt.nz](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assets/inz/documents/statistics/INZ-refugee-statistics-pack-for-September-2026.pdf). Checked 12 November 2026.
5. Waikato Muslim Association. "Brief History of Waikato Muslim Association." [waikatomuslims.org.nz](https://www.waikatomuslims.org.nz/site_files/24835/upload_files/BriefHistoryofWaikatoMuslimAssociation.pdf?dl=1). Checked 12 November 2026.
6. Bihi, A. "Cultural identity, adaptation and well-being of Somali refugees in New Zealand." Victoria University of Wellington, 1999. [ir.wgtn.ac.nz](https://ir.wgtn.ac.nz/handle/123456789/23550). Checked 12 November 2026.
7. [Garowe Online](/en/economy/somali-media-companies/). "Somalia: FM describes New Zealand PM as exceptional leader." 23 March 2019. [garoweonline.com](https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somalia-fm-describes-new-zealand-pm-as-exceptional-leader). Checked 12 November 2026.
8. Cate Broughton, Stuff, republished by Hiiraan Online. "Somali mosque attack victims 'helpless' to get family to NZ before sentencing." 2 August 2020. [hiiraan.com](https://hiiraan.com/news4/2020/Aug/179353/somali_mosque_attack_victims_helpless_to_get_family_to_nz_before_sentencing.aspx). Checked 12 November 2026.
9. Central Bank of Somalia. "Annual Report 2025." 2026. [centralbank.gov.so](https://centralbank.gov.so/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Annual-Report_2025.pdf). Checked 12 November 2026.

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