Share of deaths from each major cause in New Zealand
New Zealand: Share of deaths from each major cause was 3.1% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Latest (2018)
3.1%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
85th
of 113 countries
All-time high
3.4%
in 1957
All-time low
2.1%
in 1971
Years of data
69
1950–2018
Share of deaths from each major cause in New Zealand, 1950–2018
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of deaths from each major cause in New Zealand is 3.1%, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of deaths from each major cause in New Zealand peaked at 3.4% in 1957 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1971.
That places New Zealand 85th out of 113 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 69 years of available data.
Share of deaths from each major cause in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.9% | — |
| 1951 | 2.8% | -4.2% |
| 1952 | 2.6% | -7.1% |
| 1953 | 2.8% | +7.9% |
| 1954 | 3.1% | +7.9% |
| 1955 | 3.1% | +1.8% |
| 1956 | 3.2% | +3.7% |
| 1957 | 3.4% | +5.9% |
| 1958 | 2.8% | -17.6% |
| 1959 | 3.0% | +8.2% |
| 1960 | 2.7% | -10.7% |
| 1961 | 2.6% | -3.7% |
| 1962 | 2.5% | -2.9% |
| 1963 | 2.7% | +4.8% |
| 1964 | 2.3% | -13.3% |
| 1965 | 2.5% | +7.8% |
| 1966 | 2.1% | -15.2% |
| 1967 | 2.2% | +3.8% |
| 1968 | 2.3% | +3.2% |
| 1969 | 2.1% | -5.2% |
| 1970 | 2.1% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 2.1% | -4.0% |
| 1972 | 2.4% | +14.5% |
| 1973 | 2.5% | +4.4% |
| 1974 | 2.6% | +7.2% |
| 1975 | 2.8% | +7.3% |
| 1976 | 2.6% | -7.3% |
| 1977 | 2.5% | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 2.5% | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 2.6% | +4.8% |
| 1980 | 2.5% | -4.4% |
| 1981 | 2.5% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 2.5% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | +6.3% |
| 1985 | 2.8% | +4.6% |
| 1986 | 2.8% | -1.8% |
| 1987 | 2.7% | -4.5% |
| 1988 | 2.8% | +6.8% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 3.0% | +7.6% |
| 1991 | 3.1% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 2.9% | -4.1% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | -8.1% |
| 1994 | 2.9% | +6.6% |
| 1995 | 2.7% | -5.1% |
| 1996 | 2.7% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 2.7% | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 2.4% | -11.2% |
| 1999 | 2.4% | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 2.7% | +10.4% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 3.0% | +14.1% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | -16.1% |
| 2004 | 2.7% | +9.2% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -8.4% |
| 2006 | 2.9% | +13.8% |
| 2007 | 2.8% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 2.9% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 3.2% | +9.5% |
| 2010 | 3.0% | -6.9% |
| 2011 | 3.1% | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 3.0% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 3.1% | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 3.1% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 3.0% | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 3.2% | +6.6% |
| 2017 | 3.0% | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 3.1% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.0% | 2.6% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.4% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 2.5% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.1% | 3.0% | 3.2% | 9 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 82 Trinidad and Tobago 3.1% compare
- 83 Norway 3.1% compare
- 84 Belarus 3.1% compare
- 86 Georgia 3.0% compare
- 87 Montenegro 3.0% compare
- 88 French Guiana 3.0% 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 share of deaths from each major cause in New Zealand?
- Share of deaths from each major cause in New Zealand was 3.1% in 2018, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of deaths from each major cause recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 1957.
- What is the lowest share of deaths from each major cause recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1971.
- How does New Zealand rank for share of deaths from each major cause?
- New Zealand ranks 85th out of 113 countries with data for 2018.
- Is share of deaths from each major cause rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. 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 Share of deaths from each major cause. 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
Share of total reported deaths in both sexes in those aged all ages that are from digestive diseases.