Annual death rates at different ages in New Zealand
New Zealand: Annual death rates at different ages was 4.36 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
4.36 deaths per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 7.8%
World rank
189th
of 236 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
76
1948–2023
Annual death rates at different ages in New Zealand, 1948–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 1,000 people.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 4.36 deaths per 1,000 people for annual death rates at different ages in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.8% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual death rates at different ages 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.
New Zealand ranks 189th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual death rates at different ages 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 | 26.21 deaths per 1,000 people | -11.5% |
| 1954 | 24.93 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1955 | 25.41 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1956 | 23.82 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.2% |
| 1957 | 25.07 deaths per 1,000 people | +5.3% |
| 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 | 23.82 deaths per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1962 | 20.95 deaths per 1,000 people | -12.1% |
| 1963 | 19.95 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.8% |
| 1964 | 19.1 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.3% |
| 1965 | 19.36 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 | 16.87 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 | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 15.58 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1975 | 15.93 deaths per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 13.97 deaths per 1,000 people | -12.3% |
| 1977 | 14.36 deaths per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 13.45 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.3% |
| 1979 | 12.76 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1980 | 12.87 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 11.57 deaths per 1,000 people | -10.1% |
| 1982 | 11.88 deaths per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 12.67 deaths per 1,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1984 | 11.83 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.7% |
| 1985 | 10.96 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.4% |
| 1986 | 11.4 deaths per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 1987 | 10.31 deaths per 1,000 people | -9.6% |
| 1988 | 11.07 deaths per 1,000 people | +7.3% |
| 1989 | 10.46 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.4% |
| 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 | -11.9% |
| 1993 | 7.21 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 6.96 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 6.6 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.1% |
| 1996 | 7.13 deaths per 1,000 people | +8.0% |
| 1997 | 6.62 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.1% |
| 1998 | 5.31 deaths per 1,000 people | -19.9% |
| 1999 | 5.7 deaths per 1,000 people | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 6.18 deaths per 1,000 people | +8.3% |
| 2001 | 5.36 deaths per 1,000 people | -13.1% |
| 2002 | 5.42 deaths per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 4.97 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.2% |
| 2004 | 5.64 deaths per 1,000 people | +13.4% |
| 2005 | 5.25 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.9% |
| 2006 | 5.18 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 5.08 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 4.63 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.8% |
| 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 | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 5.6 deaths per 1,000 people | +29.8% |
| 2015 | 4.26 deaths per 1,000 people | -24.0% |
| 2016 | 3.54 deaths per 1,000 people | -16.8% |
| 2017 | 3.86 deaths per 1,000 people | +8.9% |
| 2018 | 3.66 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 4.52 deaths per 1,000 people | +23.7% |
| 2020 | 3.77 deaths per 1,000 people | -16.6% |
| 2021 | 4.6 deaths per 1,000 people | +21.9% |
| 2022 | 4.73 deaths per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 4.36 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.8% |
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 | 23.82 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.21 deaths per 1,000 people | 12.76 deaths per 1,000 people | 17.18 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.5 deaths per 1,000 people | 10.31 deaths per 1,000 people | 12.87 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 | 5.6 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.37 deaths per 1,000 people | 3.77 deaths per 1,000 people | 4.73 deaths per 1,000 people | 4 |
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 rates at different ages in New Zealand?
- Annual death rates at different ages in New Zealand was 4.36 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual death rates at different ages recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 30.66 deaths per 1,000 people in 1949.
- What is the lowest annual death rates at different ages 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 rates at different ages?
- New Zealand ranks 189th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual death rates at different ages rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. 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); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual death rates at different ages. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.