Death rate from cancer in New Zealand
New Zealand: Death rate from cancer was 112.38 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018. ▼ Falling
Latest (2018)
112.38 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
24th
of 111 countries
All-time high
166.9 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1977
All-time low
112.38 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2018
Years of data
69
1950–2018
Death rate from cancer in New Zealand, 1950–2018
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 112.38 deaths per 100,000 people for death rate from cancer in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 69 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and down 13.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, death rate from cancer in New Zealand peaked at 166.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 1977 and was at its lowest, 112.38 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2018.
New Zealand ranks 24th of 111 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 69 years of available data.
Death rate from cancer in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 141.82 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 145.81 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1952 | 142.57 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1953 | 138.46 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1954 | 139.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1955 | 145.62 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.5% |
| 1956 | 140.63 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1957 | 141.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 141.91 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1959 | 141.18 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1960 | 136.82 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1961 | 144.87 deaths per 100,000 people | +5.9% |
| 1962 | 144.6 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 148.74 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 143.72 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1965 | 147.28 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1966 | 144.91 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1967 | 143.13 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1968 | 149.11 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.2% |
| 1969 | 151.27 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 159.57 deaths per 100,000 people | +5.5% |
| 1971 | 157.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 153.25 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1973 | 158.93 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1974 | 163.81 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 163.08 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 162.15 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 166.9 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 161.16 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1979 | 161.86 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 162.09 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 161.99 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 162.41 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 165.58 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1984 | 160.65 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 165.48 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 162.73 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1987 | 165.22 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 164.57 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 165.92 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 164.94 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 159.49 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1992 | 156.93 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 158.62 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 156.32 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 159.09 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 157.11 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 150.32 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 152.19 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 150.22 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 145.1 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 145.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 140.54 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 140.16 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 138.71 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 131.78 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.0% |
| 2006 | 130.87 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 133.59 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 130.49 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 125.49 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.8% |
| 2010 | 123.66 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 124.49 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 121.37 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 121.25 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 118.8 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 120.94 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 116.05 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 113.96 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 112.38 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 141.86 deaths per 100,000 people | 138.46 deaths per 100,000 people | 145.81 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 145.44 deaths per 100,000 people | 136.82 deaths per 100,000 people | 151.27 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 160.81 deaths per 100,000 people | 153.25 deaths per 100,000 people | 166.9 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 163.66 deaths per 100,000 people | 160.65 deaths per 100,000 people | 165.92 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 156.52 deaths per 100,000 people | 150.22 deaths per 100,000 people | 164.94 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 136.21 deaths per 100,000 people | 125.49 deaths per 100,000 people | 145.32 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 119.21 deaths per 100,000 people | 112.38 deaths per 100,000 people | 124.49 deaths per 100,000 people | 9 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 21 Czechia 113.36 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 22 Estonia 113.23 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 23 Denmark 112.97 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 25 Ireland 110.58 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 26 French Guiana 110.38 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 27 Bulgaria 110.27 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 75-79, female, annual growth rate 4.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.019 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 4.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0172 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is death rate from cancer in New Zealand?
- Death rate from cancer in New Zealand was 112.38 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 death rate from cancer recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 166.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 1977.
- What is the lowest death rate from cancer recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 112.38 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018.
- How does New Zealand rank for death rate from cancer?
- New Zealand ranks 24th out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is death rate from cancer rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.9%. 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 Death rate from cancer. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 69 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Reported deaths from malignant neoplasms in both sexes in those aged all ages per 100,000 people.