Time is running out to fill in the 2023 Census, with 55,000 final notice packs now in the mail to non-responding households.
The Deputy Government Statistician, Simon Mason, said 4.5 million census forms had been returned, covering about 88 percent of the population.
He said, however, Māori and Pasifika were lagging behind, with about one in four yet to return their forms.
Mason said Census officials were working to reach those who may be more reluctant to engage directly with the government.
The Data Iwi Leaders Forum believed it had shown a 'by Māori, for Māori' census collection process was successful.
In this year's census, a pilot programme was trialled by Te Whānau-ā-Apanui in East Cape, Te Tai Rāwhiti and some parts of Te Tai Tokerau.
Forum spokesperson Rahui Papa said uptake in the East Cape was understood to be at 90 percent.
He said that was especially good when compared to the tentative total Māori turnout figure of 72 percent for the census.
Papa hoped the final figure for Māori would be closer to their target of 80 percent.
"It has huge impacts on various conversations, various decision-making and planning, not only for iwi but for government agencies for Māori as well," he said.
Census collectors were still going door-to-door in the Far North, Te Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay regions, where collection was extended to June 1, after Cyclone Gabrielle.
Outside these areas, households were risking a $2000 fine if they did not respond by the end of June.
RNZ
