Brain and nervous system cancer death rate in New Zealand
New Zealand: Brain and nervous system cancer death rate was 4.49 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018. ▼ Falling
Latest (2018)
4.49 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
up 17.9%
World rank
17th
of 111 countries
All-time high
5.39 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1991
All-time low
3.72 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2015
Years of data
40
1979–2018
Brain and nervous system cancer death rate in New Zealand, 1979–2018
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
In 2018, brain and nervous system cancer death rate in New Zealand stood at 4.49 deaths per 100,000 people.
That represents a change of up 17.9% on the previous year and up 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, brain and nervous system cancer death rate in New Zealand peaked at 5.39 deaths per 100,000 people in 1991 and was at its lowest, 3.72 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2015.
That places New Zealand 17th out of 111 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 40 years of available data.
Brain and nervous system cancer death rate in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 5.05 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1980 | 4.64 deaths per 100,000 people | -8.2% |
| 1981 | 4.77 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 4.23 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.3% |
| 1983 | 4.62 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.4% |
| 1984 | 4.94 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.8% |
| 1985 | 5 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 4.27 deaths per 100,000 people | -14.5% |
| 1987 | 4.28 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 4.6 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.6% |
| 1989 | 3.76 deaths per 100,000 people | -18.3% |
| 1990 | 4.43 deaths per 100,000 people | +17.9% |
| 1991 | 5.39 deaths per 100,000 people | +21.6% |
| 1992 | 4.77 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.4% |
| 1993 | 5.23 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.5% |
| 1994 | 4.62 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.6% |
| 1995 | 3.89 deaths per 100,000 people | -15.8% |
| 1996 | 4.69 deaths per 100,000 people | +20.5% |
| 1997 | 4.7 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 4.54 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1999 | 4.55 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 5.04 deaths per 100,000 people | +11.0% |
| 2001 | 5.11 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 4.59 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.2% |
| 2003 | 4.67 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 4.38 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 4.56 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 4.2 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.7% |
| 2008 | 3.9 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.3% |
| 2009 | 3.98 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 4.15 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 4.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 4.65 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.4% |
| 2013 | 4.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 3.95 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.2% |
| 2015 | 3.72 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 4.31 deaths per 100,000 people | +15.9% |
| 2017 | 3.81 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.6% |
| 2018 | 4.49 deaths per 100,000 people | +17.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.05 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.05 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.05 deaths per 100,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 4.51 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.76 deaths per 100,000 people | 5 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.68 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.89 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.39 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.48 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.9 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.11 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.2 deaths per 100,000 people | 3.72 deaths per 100,000 people | 4.65 deaths per 100,000 people | 9 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 14 Portugal 4.56 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 15 Slovenia 4.53 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 16 Ireland 4.53 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 18 Romania 4.48 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 19 Latvia 4.38 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 20 Estonia 4.38 deaths per 100,000 people compare
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 60-64, female, annual growth rate 0.2856 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0313 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 0.3541 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0292 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is brain and nervous system cancer death rate in New Zealand?
- Brain and nervous system cancer death rate in New Zealand was 4.49 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest brain and nervous system cancer death rate recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 5.39 deaths per 100,000 people in 1991.
- What is the lowest brain and nervous system cancer death rate recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.72 deaths per 100,000 people in 2015.
- How does New Zealand rank for brain and nervous system cancer death rate?
- New Zealand ranks 17th out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is brain and nervous system cancer death rate rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Brain and nervous system cancer death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Reported deaths from brain and nervous system cancers in both sexes in those aged all ages per 100,000 people.