Annual death rate by age group in New Zealand
New Zealand: Annual death rate by age group was 4.6 deaths per 1,000 people in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
4.6 deaths per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 22.0%
World rank
7th
of 41 countries
All-time high
30.66 deaths per 1,000 people
in 1949
All-time low
3.54 deaths per 1,000 people
in 2016
Years of data
74
1948–2021
Annual death rate by age group in New Zealand, 1948–2021
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual death rate by age group in New Zealand is 4.6 deaths per 1,000 people, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 22.0% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual death rate by age group in New Zealand peaked at 30.66 deaths per 1,000 people in 1949 and was at its lowest, 3.54 deaths per 1,000 people, in 2016.
That places New Zealand 7th out of 41 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual death rate by age group in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | deaths per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 28.17 deaths per 1,000 people | — |
| 1949 | 30.66 deaths per 1,000 people | +8.8% |
| 1950 | 28.43 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.3% |
| 1951 | 28.23 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1952 | 29.63 deaths per 1,000 people | +5.0% |
| 1953 | 26.22 deaths per 1,000 people | -11.5% |
| 1954 | 24.94 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1955 | 25.42 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1956 | 23.82 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.3% |
| 1957 | 25.07 deaths per 1,000 people | +5.2% |
| 1958 | 24.25 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1959 | 24.64 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 1960 | 23.18 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.9% |
| 1961 | 23.81 deaths per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 1962 | 20.94 deaths per 1,000 people | -12.1% |
| 1963 | 19.94 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.8% |
| 1964 | 19.1 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 1965 | 19.37 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 17.84 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.9% |
| 1967 | 18.39 deaths per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1968 | 19.2 deaths per 1,000 people | +4.4% |
| 1969 | 17.26 deaths per 1,000 people | -10.1% |
| 1970 | 16.88 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1971 | 17.18 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 15.89 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.5% |
| 1973 | 16.09 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 15.57 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1975 | 15.94 deaths per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 13.97 deaths per 1,000 people | -12.4% |
| 1977 | 14.36 deaths per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 13.45 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.3% |
| 1979 | 12.75 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1980 | 12.86 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 11.57 deaths per 1,000 people | -10.0% |
| 1982 | 11.88 deaths per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 12.68 deaths per 1,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1984 | 11.83 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.7% |
| 1985 | 10.95 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.4% |
| 1986 | 11.4 deaths per 1,000 people | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 10.3 deaths per 1,000 people | -9.6% |
| 1988 | 11.07 deaths per 1,000 people | +7.5% |
| 1989 | 10.46 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.5% |
| 1990 | 8.57 deaths per 1,000 people | -18.1% |
| 1991 | 8.12 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.3% |
| 1992 | 7.16 deaths per 1,000 people | -11.8% |
| 1993 | 7.21 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 6.96 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 6.6 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1996 | 7.13 deaths per 1,000 people | +8.0% |
| 1997 | 6.62 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.2% |
| 1998 | 5.31 deaths per 1,000 people | -19.8% |
| 1999 | 5.7 deaths per 1,000 people | +7.3% |
| 2000 | 6.18 deaths per 1,000 people | +8.4% |
| 2001 | 5.36 deaths per 1,000 people | -13.3% |
| 2002 | 5.42 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 4.98 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.1% |
| 2004 | 5.64 deaths per 1,000 people | +13.3% |
| 2005 | 5.24 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.1% |
| 2006 | 5.18 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 5.08 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 4.63 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.9% |
| 2009 | 4.83 deaths per 1,000 people | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 5.06 deaths per 1,000 people | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 4.58 deaths per 1,000 people | -9.5% |
| 2012 | 4.18 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.7% |
| 2013 | 4.32 deaths per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 5.61 deaths per 1,000 people | +29.9% |
| 2015 | 4.26 deaths per 1,000 people | -24.1% |
| 2016 | 3.54 deaths per 1,000 people | -16.9% |
| 2017 | 3.86 deaths per 1,000 people | +9.0% |
| 2018 | 3.66 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 4.53 deaths per 1,000 people | +23.8% |
| 2020 | 3.77 deaths per 1,000 people | -16.8% |
| 2021 | 4.6 deaths per 1,000 people | +22.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 29.41 deaths per 1,000 people | 28.17 deaths per 1,000 people | 30.66 deaths per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1950s | 26.06 deaths per 1,000 people | 23.82 deaths per 1,000 people | 29.63 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.9 deaths per 1,000 people | 17.26 deaths per 1,000 people | 23.81 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.21 deaths per 1,000 people | 12.75 deaths per 1,000 people | 17.18 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.5 deaths per 1,000 people | 10.3 deaths per 1,000 people | 12.86 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.94 deaths per 1,000 people | 5.31 deaths per 1,000 people | 8.57 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.25 deaths per 1,000 people | 4.63 deaths per 1,000 people | 6.18 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.36 deaths per 1,000 people | 3.54 deaths per 1,000 people | 5.61 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.18 deaths per 1,000 people | 3.77 deaths per 1,000 people | 4.6 deaths per 1,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More health data for New Zealand
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.94 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.4815 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,116 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 33 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -0.6935 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.087 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -0.6744 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0918 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual death rate by age group in New Zealand?
- Annual death rate by age group in New Zealand was 4.6 deaths per 1,000 people in 2021, according to Human Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual death rate by age group recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 30.66 deaths per 1,000 people in 1949.
- What is the lowest annual death rate by age group recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.54 deaths per 1,000 people in 2016.
- How does New Zealand rank for annual death rate by age group?
- New Zealand ranks 7th out of 41 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual death rate by age group rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual death rate by age group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Death rate, calculated as the number of deaths divided by the average number of people alive during the interval.