[4][5][3][6] Originating from Tahitian settlers in the sixth century, the Cook Islands Māori bear cultural affinities with New Zealand Māori and Tahitian Mā'ohi, although they also exhibit a unique culture and developed their own language, which is currently recognized as one of two official languages in the Cook Islands, according to the Te Reo Maori Act of 2003.

[8][9] The Cook Islands does not issue its own passports, a privilege usually assumed by virtually all sovereign countries, but places this responsibility in the hands of the New Zealand Government which issues passports for New Zealand citizens who are also Cook Islands nationals.

[12] In late December 2024, Peters clarified that the Cook Islands would not be able to have its own passport, citizenship and United Nations membership without becoming an independent country.

The religious distribution in the 2016 official census was as follows: The various Protestant groups account for 62.8% of the believers, the most followed denomination being the Cook Islands Christian Church with 49.1% (down from 53% in 2006).

Other Protestant Christian groups include Seventh-Day Adventist (8.4%), Assemblies of God (3.8%), and Apostolic Church (2.1%).