Lung cancer death rates in New Zealand
New Zealand: Lung cancer death rates was 19.55 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018. ▲ Rising
Latest (2018)
19.55 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 9.3%
World rank
10th
of 111 countries
All-time high
22.59 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2008
All-time low
2.88 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1954
Years of data
69
1950–2018
Lung cancer death rates 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 19.55 deaths per 100,000 people for lung cancer death rates in 2018.
That represents a change of down 9.3% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lung cancer death rates in New Zealand peaked at 22.59 deaths per 100,000 people in 2008 and was at its lowest, 2.88 deaths per 100,000 people, in 1954.
That places New Zealand 10th out of 111 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 69 years of available data.
Lung cancer death rates in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.9 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 3.87 deaths per 100,000 people | +33.4% |
| 1952 | 3.91 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1953 | 3.4 deaths per 100,000 people | -13.0% |
| 1954 | 2.88 deaths per 100,000 people | -15.2% |
| 1955 | 3.44 deaths per 100,000 people | +19.4% |
| 1956 | 5.1 deaths per 100,000 people | +48.3% |
| 1957 | 3.79 deaths per 100,000 people | -25.7% |
| 1958 | 4.51 deaths per 100,000 people | +19.1% |
| 1959 | 4.46 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1960 | 5.09 deaths per 100,000 people | +14.0% |
| 1961 | 5.87 deaths per 100,000 people | +15.3% |
| 1962 | 4.78 deaths per 100,000 people | -18.5% |
| 1963 | 6.03 deaths per 100,000 people | +26.0% |
| 1964 | 5.9 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1965 | 5.14 deaths per 100,000 people | -12.8% |
| 1966 | 5.37 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.4% |
| 1967 | 6.58 deaths per 100,000 people | +22.5% |
| 1968 | 6.88 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.7% |
| 1969 | 8.01 deaths per 100,000 people | +16.3% |
| 1970 | 9.84 deaths per 100,000 people | +22.9% |
| 1971 | 8.88 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.7% |
| 1972 | 10.69 deaths per 100,000 people | +20.3% |
| 1973 | 11.91 deaths per 100,000 people | +11.5% |
| 1974 | 12.21 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 11.94 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1976 | 11.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1977 | 13.02 deaths per 100,000 people | +14.7% |
| 1978 | 13.75 deaths per 100,000 people | +5.6% |
| 1979 | 14.17 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 14.46 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 15.77 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1982 | 15.36 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1983 | 14.97 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 15.15 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 16.61 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.6% |
| 1986 | 15.83 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.7% |
| 1987 | 18.89 deaths per 100,000 people | +19.4% |
| 1988 | 18.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 19.58 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1990 | 20.01 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 19.06 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.7% |
| 1992 | 18.9 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 18.76 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 20.04 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.8% |
| 1995 | 20.71 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 19.78 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 21.19 deaths per 100,000 people | +7.1% |
| 1998 | 20.23 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1999 | 21.23 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 19.51 deaths per 100,000 people | -8.1% |
| 2001 | 21.43 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.8% |
| 2002 | 20.63 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 21.63 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 21.38 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 19.07 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.8% |
| 2006 | 21.32 deaths per 100,000 people | +11.8% |
| 2007 | 20.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 22.59 deaths per 100,000 people | +11.0% |
| 2009 | 20.98 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.1% |
| 2010 | 21.21 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 21.19 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 19.55 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.7% |
| 2013 | 20.7 deaths per 100,000 people | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 20.12 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 21.02 deaths per 100,000 people | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 19.75 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.0% |
| 2017 | 21.55 deaths per 100,000 people | +9.1% |
| 2018 | 19.55 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.3% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 19.55 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.18 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.7× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 19.55 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9.08 deaths per 100,000 people, 2.2× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.83 deaths per 100,000 people | 2.88 deaths per 100,000 people | 5.1 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.97 deaths per 100,000 people | 4.78 deaths per 100,000 people | 8.01 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 11.78 deaths per 100,000 people | 8.88 deaths per 100,000 people | 14.17 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.5 deaths per 100,000 people | 14.46 deaths per 100,000 people | 19.58 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.99 deaths per 100,000 people | 18.76 deaths per 100,000 people | 21.23 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.89 deaths per 100,000 people | 19.07 deaths per 100,000 people | 22.59 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.52 deaths per 100,000 people | 19.55 deaths per 100,000 people | 21.55 deaths per 100,000 people | 9 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 7 Canada 20.63 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 8 Norway 19.96 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 9 United Kingdom 19.74 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 11 Cuba 18.87 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 12 Croatia 18.35 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 13 Poland 18.04 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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.1187 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0277 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.018 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lung cancer death rates in New Zealand?
- Lung cancer death rates in New Zealand was 19.55 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 lung cancer death rates recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 22.59 deaths per 100,000 people in 2008.
- What is the lowest lung cancer death rates recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.88 deaths per 100,000 people in 1954.
- How does New Zealand rank for lung cancer death rates?
- New Zealand ranks 10th out of 111 countries with data for 2018.
- Is lung cancer death rates rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Lung cancer death rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Reported deaths from trachea, bronchus, lung cancers in females in those aged all ages per 100,000 people.