Between 2013 and 2018, the number of Sikhs grew by 113% from 19,191 to 40,908, making Sikhism the fastest-growing religion and on pace to eclipse Islam and Buddhism by 2023 at the time.

[1][8] However, the crackdown on student visas and low-skilled workers starting in 2017 stifled Sikh population growth.

[9] Between 2018 and 2023, the New Zealander Sikh population grew by 31%, failing to eclipse Islam and Buddhism although remaining the fastest-growing religion.

There is a significant history of many Sikhs being dairy farmers throughout New Zealand,[citation needed] many of them being great pioneers.

Much hard work was undertaken in terms of clearing scrub and tea trees to convert to farmland in the early years.