At the 2018 New Zealand census, 82 389 people identified as being part of the Tongan ethnic group, an increase of 22 056 people from the 2013 census.
Currently, there are more Tongan people born in New Zealand than there are in Tonga, giving lea faka-Tonga (the Tonga language) and anga faka-Tonga (Tonga culture) a special place here in Aotearoa.
Tonga Language Week / Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga gives students of all ethnicities the chance to learn some basic lea faka-Tonga, and gives students who speak lea faka-Tonga the chance to be experts in the classroom.
Source: TKI Te Kete Ipurangi