Sikhism is NZ’s fastest-growing faith
Sikhism is growing faster than any other major religion in New Zealand, having more than doubled its number of followers here since 2013 – and more than quadrupled since 2006.
About 41,000 Sikhs now live here, according to the latest census figures. Sikhism has fewer followers in New Zealand than Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. But, if all five faiths keep growing (or shrinking) at the same rates they did between 2013 and 2018, Sikhs will overtake Buddhists and Muslims in population by the next census.
Fourth-generation Kiwi Sikh Dr Harpreet Singh, a historian, said the rise in Sikhs was driven by immigration from India.
Sikhs began arriving in earnest in the 1980s. Singh said persecution from the Hindu majority in India coincided with our then-prime minister David Lange loosening New Zealand’s immigration policy, and Sikhs were ‘‘essentially asylum seekers’’.
They continued to leave India in droves in the 1990s and 2000s, motivated by the promise of making more money and ongoing tensions in their homeland, he said.
But Labour’s crackdown on low-skilled migrants and those on student visas, in 2017, had a major impact on Sikh migrants, he said.
Singh doesn’t expect the religion will have doubled in size again by 2023, due to ‘‘the main avenues of entering the country being shut’’.
There are at least 20 gurdwara temples around the country, each featuring kitchens open to the public. At the Supreme Sikh Society’s south Auckland gurdwara (pictured), five hectares have been dedicated to growing fruit and vegetables. The society works with community initiatives in the area to educate people about sustainable food production.
Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak in the 15th century. The turban is the most visible mark of Sikhism, symbolising spiritual devotion. Sikhs also wear a metal bracelet, a wooden comb, cotton shorts, and a ceremonial dagger called a kirpan, representing integrity, order, modesty, and bravery, respectively.