Past population dynamics play a key role in integrated models of cultural change in Polynesia. A key aspect of these models is the interplay between food-production and population growth. Located on the margins of Polynesia, New Zealand presented considerable challenges to traditional Polynesian food-production: many crops were not successfully established and those that were produced greatly reduced yields. Despite these differences, little empirical analysis of Maori population has been carried out in New Zealand. Here, we reconstruct past population dynamics using summed probability distributions of radiocarbon dates (SPDRD). Utilizing advanced quantitative methods we statistically compare observed SPDRD with known models of population growth and carry out a comparative analysis of growth between three economic regions. Finally, we investigate local-scale population deviations across these regions. Our results confirm established ideas regarding the shape of population growth and regional variation in population trajectories, particularly between horticultural and non-horticultural zones. Within the horticultural zone our results also reveal regional and local-scale variation in population growth. Crucially, our results have an empirical basis and are placed within an absolute chronological context allowing further investigations of key trends.