According to the 2018 census, 10,086 New Zealanders identify themselves as with the Vietnamese ethnic group.[1] Many of them came to New Zealand to escape religious persecution or war.[2]
History
Vietnamese people began arriving in New Zealand during the mid-1970s and early 1980s as refugees following the end of the Vietnam War owing to fear of persecution or uncertainty under a new Communist government.[2] New Zealand was one of the countries that assisted in the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees, with the first arrivals in 1977 when 412 refugees were accepted.[2] The largest intake of Vietnamese refugees occurred in 1979–1980 when about 1,500 arrived[2] with approximately 4,500 Vietnamese being accepted for resettlement between 1977 and 1993.[3] Many of them settled in large urban areas.[2] Owing to the economic troubles of the 1980s in which many had lost their factory jobs and isolation, about 1/3 of the population moved to Australia where there were larger Vietnamese communities.[2]
Currently, in the 2018 Census, there are 10,086 Vietnamese living in New Zealand, with the majority being concentrated in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.[2]
