2016 Cook Islands census

The 2016 Cook Islands Census took place on December 1, 2016.
The population of the Cook Islands was counted as 17,434 – a decrease of 360 from 2011 [Cook Islands Census|the 2011 census].

Results

Population and dwellings

Population counts for the inhabited Islands of the Cook Islands. All figures are for the total population count. The resident population count was 14,802.

Island

Population

Rarotonga

13,007

74.61

Aitutaki

1,941

11.13

Mangaia

499

2.86

Atiu

434

2.49

Mauke

297

1.7

Mitiaro

155

0.89

Southern Islands

3,326

19.08

Pukapuka

444

2.55

Penrhyn

226

1.3

Manihiki

212

1.22

Rakahanga

0.48

Nassau

0.45

Palmerston

0.33

Northern Islands

1,101

6.32

Ethnicity

The largest ethnic groups in 2016 were 78.2% Cook Islands Māori, 7.6% part Cook Islands Māori, and 14.2% other ethnic groups.
Data is for the census usually-resident population count.

Ethnic group	Population	%
Cook Islands Māori	11,575	78.2
Part Cook Islands Māori	1,128	7.62
Other	2,099	14.18
Total	14,802	100

Religion

The largest religion in the Cook Islands is the Cook Islands Christian Church with 48.8% of the population identifying with that religion in 2016. Data is for the census usually-resident population count.

Religious affiliation	Population	%
Christian	12,866	86.92
Cook Islands Christian Church	7,225	48.81
Roman Catholic	2,574	17.39
Seventh-day Adventist	1,249	8.44
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	609	4.11
Assemblies of God	569	3.84
Jehovah's Witness	357	2.41
Apostolic	283	1.91
Irreligion/Not Stated	1,097	7.41
Other	839	5.67
Total	14,802	100