New research has found a substantial pay gap and significantly lower chance of promotion, for Maori and Pacific academics

The study of more than 17 thousand academics from all eight New Zealand universities, looked at ethnic and gender differences in promotions and earnings between 2003 and 2018.

Auckland University's Sereana Naepi says Maori and Pacific academics are significantly less likely to be promoted to Professor or Associate professor.

She says they also earn significantly less than their non-Maori and non-Pacific male counterparts..

She says these gaps aren't explained by research performance, age, or field of study.

Naepi says the ethnic inequities are particularly stark for Maori and Pacific women.