Cook Islands People : Cook Islands  

Cook Islands People - Travel guide

Cook Islands

People

The indigenous population of the Cook Islands is the Cook Islands Maori, Polynesians closely related ethnically to the indigenous populations of Tahiti and nearby islands and to the New Zealand Maori (see below).

According to the latest census undertaken in December 2002 the total resident population of the Cook Islands is 18,027 of whom 12,188 live in the outer islands.

Rarotonga’s resident population is 9,424 (11,225 in 1996) while Aitutaki's population is 1,946 compared to a 1996 total of 2,389.

Since the economic reform programmes of 1995-1996, the population has experienced heavy losses with migration to Australia and New Zealand.

Large numbers of Cook Islanders have migrated to New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere over the years, mostly to seek better employment opportunities. More than 50,000 Cook Islanders reside in New Zealand and an estimated 15,000 in Australia.

The current Cook Islands First government led by Prime Minister Jim Marurai has placed high priority on educating and training Cook Islands workers in an effort to stem this trend. A trades training course for outer islanders began in March 2003, organised by the Department of National Human Resource Development in association with New Zealand’s Unitec and assisted by NZAid.