Substance use disorder deaths in New Zealand
New Zealand: Substance use disorder deaths was 79.74 deaths in 2021. ▲ Rising
Substance use disorder deaths in New Zealand, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 79.74 deaths for substance use disorder deaths in 2021. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.8% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, substance use disorder deaths in New Zealand peaked at 79.74 deaths in 2021 and was at its lowest, 28.94 deaths, in 2000.
That places New Zealand 72nd out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Substance use disorder deaths in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 28.94 deaths | — |
| 2001 | 41.62 deaths | +43.8% |
| 2002 | 55.86 deaths | +34.2% |
| 2003 | 38.48 deaths | -31.1% |
| 2004 | 42 deaths | +9.1% |
| 2005 | 53.2 deaths | +26.7% |
| 2006 | 42.15 deaths | -20.8% |
| 2007 | 60.87 deaths | +44.4% |
| 2008 | 62.62 deaths | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 71.07 deaths | +13.5% |
| 2010 | 64.8 deaths | -8.8% |
| 2011 | 75.28 deaths | +16.2% |
| 2012 | 71.38 deaths | -5.2% |
| 2013 | 62.46 deaths | -12.5% |
| 2014 | 72.29 deaths | +15.7% |
| 2015 | 62.12 deaths | -14.1% |
| 2016 | 78.19 deaths | +25.9% |
| 2017 | 76.18 deaths | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 72.46 deaths | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 74.62 deaths | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 74.63 deaths | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 79.74 deaths | +6.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 49.68 deaths | 28.94 deaths | 71.07 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 70.98 deaths | 62.12 deaths | 78.19 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.19 deaths | 74.63 deaths | 79.74 deaths | 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 substance use disorder deaths in New Zealand?
- Substance use disorder deaths in New Zealand was 79.74 deaths in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest substance use disorder deaths recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 79.74 deaths in 2021.
- What is the lowest substance use disorder deaths recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.94 deaths in 2000.
- How does New Zealand rank for substance use disorder deaths?
- New Zealand ranks 72nd out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is substance use disorder deaths rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Substance use disorder deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths from drug use disorders in both sexes.