Figure 1.--. |
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The only important organized religious groups are various Christian denominations, again reflecting the country's British heritage. The most important denomination is Anglican, which comprised nearly [720k, 29 percent] percent of the population. Other important religious groups include: Presbyterian (530k, 21 percent), Roman Catholic (500k, 20 percent), Methodists (120k, 5 percent), and a wide range of other Christian denominations, but none with more than about 0.1k percent. Those reporting no religious affiliation probably total about (650k, 26 percent). New Zealand also has a small Jewish population. There is a strong relationship between religion and ethnic background, the Anglicans are mostly English, the Prysbetrians Scottish, and the Catholics Irish. The Maori population has been largely Christianized, but also are divide among the principal Christian sects supporting missionary programs. Some Maoris retain a cultural attachment to native religious practices.
Despite the tendency of New Zealanders to designate a religious affiliation, actual church membership and attendance is extremely low by American standards. One estimate suggests that actual participation may be as low as 20 percent. While some fundamentalists sects have gained strength in recent years, large numbers of New Zealanders appear to have concluded that religion has little meaning in their lives. New Zealand appears to be one of the world's most thoroughly secular countries.
