Most of Tokelau's people are aged under 30 years

The 2011 Tokelau Census told us that Tokelau has a youthful population, 2011 Tokelau Census manager Kele Lui said today. It found that most of the usual residents were below 30 years of age. The median age for people usually living in Tokelau was 24.0 years, which compares with a New Zealand median of 35.9 years.

In Tokelau, a proportionally small number of people were in the 25–34-year age group. This suggests that people in this age group are more mobile than other people. Tokelauans in this age group may leave Tokelau to raise their families, to further their education, or for different job opportunities.

The final release of information from the 2011 Tokelau Census is published today.

Profile of Tokelau Ata o Tokelau provides information on the age structure of Tokelau’s population, and commentary on population and demography, social and cultural education, paid and unpaid work, and household and dwelling information.

The census provides valuable point-in-time information, which helps reflect Tokelau's development as a nation, both at a national and local (atoll) level. For 2011 new topics were included: access to the Internet and to Sky television; and reading and writing proficiency in Tokelauan and English.

Profile of Tokelau Ata o Tokelau also makes comparisons between the 2006 and 2011 Tokelau Censuses that help to show how society has changed. These comparisons are important in measuring the success of policy initiatives.