Key entrepreneurship statistics
The following statistics are from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Aotearoa New Zealand, 2005.
 
• In terms of total early-stage entrepreneurial activity, Aotearoa (Maori New Zealanders) at 17.7% and New Zealand at 17.6% were surpassed by only two other countries - Thailand and Venezuela.   
• About 83% of Maori entrepreneurs are opportunity entrepreneurs, a value comparable to Canada, Austria, and the United States. 
• About 25% of Maori versus 13.1% of the general population say they expect to launch a start-up in the next three years. 
• Maori are great starters of business, but only 37% of Maori entrepreneurial start-ups survive 3.5 years compared to 62% in the general population. 
• About one in three Maori between 35 and 44 years of age is a business entrepreneur. 
• For New Zealanders, both Maori and non-Maori, wealth creation is not as important as independence. Maori have twice as many independence-driven entrepreneurs as wealth-driven entrepreneurs. 
• The typical New Zealand entrepreneur is an opportunity-based lifestyle entrepreneur, opting for work-life balance rather than wealth creation. 
• Maori are not technology-shy. 18% of Maori entrepreneurs claim to be using the latest technology compared to 10% of the population of general New Zealand entrepreneurs. 
• Maori also have much higher growth expectations. 12.3% of Maori entrepreneurs believe they will create 20 jobs in five years compared to 8.1% of the general population. 
• Maori women have the world’s third highest opportunity entrepreneurship rate and only a moderate rate of necessity entrepreneurship.

• Maori have the highest informal investment rate in the OECD and double the rate of informal investment of other GEM nations. 
• More Maori (71.3%) than other New Zealanders (60.5%) say that starting a business is a good career choice.