Māori authority businesses continued strong growth with rising profits, assets, and owners’ equity.
Figures from Tatauranga Umanga Māori 2017-18: Statistics on Māori businesses released today show the enduring contribution of Māori authorities to the economy of Aotearoa. Māori authorities’ assets grew in 2017, up 6 percent ($1.2 billion) from the previous year to reach over $20 billion. This continued the trend of strong asset growth, increasing 42 percent ($5.9 billion) from 2012.
Owners’ equity reached $14.2 billion in 2017, an increase of 5 percent on 2016 and 48 percent on 2012. This means over 70 percent of Māori authorities growing asset base is held by owners. These assets include 228,000 hectares of grassland used in pastoral farming, 104,000 hectares of forest plantation, and around 110,000 hectares in bush, scrub and other land, including 3,420 hectares in horticulture. The total land area managed by Māori farms was about 445,000 hectares, unchanged from the previous year.
Agriculture accounts for one sixth of Māori authority operations, with one third of authorities acting as non-residential property operators, and one tenth in financial asset management. Māori businesses are important drivers of the economy, and large employers. From 2010-18, the number of employees increased by 51 percent to 12,200 employees.
To see more statistics on Māori authority businesses (which manage Māori assets held in communal ownerships) and Māori SMEs (businesses that self-identify as Māori and with fewer than 100 employees), visit StatsNZ.