The Maori are the indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand. Around the ninth century, the Maori arrived in New Zealand from other Pacific Islands. In 1769 there were over 100,000 Maori, but their population decreased significantly (to 40,000) by the end of the nineteenth century, due to European colonization. In the twentieth century, the Maori population has expanded to 632,000 in New Zealand, with another 73,000 living in Australia. Maoris now comprise 15 percent of New Zealand’s population.