+Maori

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New Zealand's culture is a fusion of Maori culture and that of the descendants of the early British colonists and later settlers, many of whom were of working class origin.

While British culture predominates within the country, Maori culture is increasingly being identified with New Zealand, due to haka displays by New Zealand sporting teams, and to tens of thousands of visitors who each year experience and film or photograph Maori cultural events held at places like Rotorua.

British and Irish culture in New Zealand has been significantly influenced by Maori and other Polynesians. Scottish influences are strong, mainly in the southernmost parts of the South Island. In general, early immigrants from other parts of Europe and Asia, and World War II refugees (particularly the Dutch) were readily assimilated.

Small enclaves of these early immigrant cultures remain as islands in a sea of British colonial culture. Unlike Australia, New Zealand has not experienced sizeable immigration from Mediterranean countries in Southern Europe, but in recent years there has been a considerable influx of migrants from Asia, which now makes up a significant proportion of the population, particularly in Auckland. New Zealand has by some measures the highest proportion of the population born in a foreign country, at approximately 25%, higher than comparable nations like USA, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, and Canada

After the Second World War, significant immigration from the Pacific Islands began, so much so that there are now more nationals from some Pacific island nations living in New Zealand than on their home islands. The wide variety of Pacific Island cultures has combined in New Zealand, mostly in South Auckland, to form a distinctive subculture that is separate from the Maori culture.

Immigration policy in New Zealand has often been controversial, with some politicians claiming that the pace of immigration has been too rapid for New Zealand to absorb, and that recent immigrants are having trouble adapting to the New Zealand society. This position is seen by others as a cynical appeal to xenophobic sentiment in order to gain votes near election time, and these views are not widely supported by the general population.