NEW ZEALAND HEALTH INFORMATION SERVICE
Mortality
Total deaths for 2004 to 2006
Deaths, raw numbers, total population, 1987-2006.
Age group (years) | |||||||||
1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
27430 | 27407 | 27044 | 26524 | 26490 | 27252 | 27209 | 27093 | 27956 | 28379 |
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005* | 2006* |
27612 | 26457 | 28224 | 26723 | 28134 | 28360 | 28061 | 28636 | 27141 | 28387 |
Source:NZHIS Mortality Data.
Deaths, Segi age-standardised rates, total population, 1987-2006.
* Data for 2005 and 2006 is provisional.
Source: NZHIS Mortality Data.
Deaths from all causes – totals by age and sex, 2004.
Sex | Total | Age group (years) | ||||||||
0- | 5– | 10– | 15– | 20– | 25– | 30– | 35– | 40– | ||
Total: | 28636 | 402 | 33 | 57 | 203 | 203 | 179 | 222 | 340 | 446 |
Males: | 14201 | 210 | 18 | 37 | 135 | 150 | 131 | 130 | 211 | 260 |
Females: | 14435 | 192 | 15 | 20 | 68 | 53 | 48 | 92 | 129 | 186 |
Age group (years) | |||||||||
45– | 50– | 55– | 60– | 65– | 70– | 75– | 80– | 85+ | |
Total: | 664 | 889 | 1185 | 1576 | 2044 | 2879 | 3989 | 4881 | 8444 |
Males: | 385 | 499 | 680 | 906 | 1223 | 1679 | 2266 | 2416 | 2865 |
Females: | 279 | 390 | 505 | 670 | 821 | 1200 | 1723 | 2465 | 5579 |
| Source: Mortality and Demographic Data 2004. | |||||||||
Deaths from all causes – totals by age and sex, 2005 (provisional data).
Total | Age group (years) | |||||||||
0- | 5- | 10- | 15- | 20- | 25- | 30- | 35- | 40- | ||
Total: | 27141 | 355 | 46 | 48 | 206 | 216 | 175 | 231 | 323 | 489 |
Males: | 13494 | 206 | 21 | 31 | 146 | 158 | 133 | 144 | 198 | 294 |
Females: | 13647 | 150 | 25 | 17 | 60 | 58 | 43 | 87 | 125 | 195 |
Age group (years) | |||||||||
45– | 50– | 55– | 60– | 65– | 70– | 75– | 80– | 85+ | |
Total: | 646 | 837 | 1235 | 1517 | 1922 | 2540 | 3674 | 4710 | 7969 |
Males: | 352 | 498 | 736 | 891 | 1145 | 1504 | 2059 | 2282 | 2696 |
Females: | 294 | 339 | 499 | 626 | 777 | 1036 | 1615 | 2428 | 5273 |
| Source: NZHIS Mortality Data. | |||||||||
The selection of the cause of death in New Zealand, where more than one cause is entered on a medical certificate of cause of death, is in accordance with the WHO Mortality Rules and Guideline for Selection of the Underlying Cause of Death. This is largely determined from the statement of the certifying doctor or coroner, but reference is also made to post mortem reports received and cancer registrations. On some occasions, coded hospital inpatient event summaries are compared with the entries on the medical certificate to obtain more specific information. Information is also obtained from letters to certifying doctors, medical records departments, Land Transport New Zealand, Water Safety New Zealand, Media Search, and visits to Coronial Services.
Malignant neoplasms (cancer), ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease were the leading causes of death in New Zealand from 1987 to 2004. In 2004 they collectively accounted for 60.3 percent of deaths (cancer 28.4 percent, ischaemic heart disease 22.1 percent and cerebrovascular disease 9.8 percent).
Major causes of death – numbers and percentages by
Ethnicity, 2004.
Cause of death | Total | Maori | Non-Maori | |||
ASR | No. | ASR | No. | ASR | No. | |
| All causes of death | 389.8 | 28636 | 675.2 | 2735 | 362.2 | 25901 |
| Total cancer | 120.8 | 8145 | 193.9 | 767 | 114.3 | 7378 |
| - Lung cancer* | 24.4 | 1555 | 62.9 | 237 | 21.5 | 1318 |
| - Colorectal cancer † | 16.7 | 1173 | 12.8 | 54 | 16.7 | 1119 |
| - Breast cancer | 10.7 | 646 | 17.4 | 81 | 9.9 | 565 |
| - Prostate cancer | 6.9 | 583 | 11.3 | 37 | 6.7 | 546 |
| - Stomach cancer | 4.7 | 301 | 13.6 | 53 | 3.9 | 248 |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 75.2 | 6313 | 128.6 | 474 | 70.7 | 5839 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 30.2 | 2806 | 39.1 | 140 | 29.3 | 2666 |
| COPD‡ | 19.4 | 1621 | 39.8 | 141 | 18 | 1480 |
| Other forms of heart disease§ | 14.3 | 1205 | 28.4 | 111 | 13.1 | 1094 |
| Transport accidents | 12.1 | 520 | 21.2 | 132 | 10.3 | 388 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 11.4 | 843 | 49.8 | 184 | 8.5 | 659 |
| Intentional self-harm | 11.0 | 488 | 17.1 | 109 | 9.7 | 378 |
| Organic mental disorders | 6.9 | 748 | 5.3 | 16 | 6.9 | 732 |
| Pneumonia and influenza | 5.1 | 465 | 6.3 | 26 | 4.6 | 439 |
| Hypertensive disease | 3.3 | 283 | 12.9 | 45 | 2.7 | 238 |
| Assault | 1.2 | 47 | 2.9 | 18 | 0.8 | 29 |
| Source: Mortality and Demographic Data 2004 |  | | ||||
Major causes of death – numbers and percentages by
Ethnicity, 2005 (provisional data).Cause of death | Total | Maori | Non-Maori | |||
ASR | No. | ASR | No. | ASR | No. | |
| All causes of death | 361.1 | 27141 | 643.7 | 2712 | 333.9 | 24429 |
| Total cancer | 114.2 | 7970 | 188.7 | 760 | 108.4 | 7210 |
| - Lung cancer* | 21.8 | 1451 | 65.2 | 254 | 18.4 | 1197 |
| - Colorectal cancer † | 16.9 | 1222 | 13.5 | 55 | 17.0 | 1167 |
| - Breast cancer | 10.2 | 652 | 14.0 | 61 | 10.0 | 591 |
| - Prostate cancer | 6.4 | 564 | 10.3 | 36 | 6.2 | 528 |
| - Stomach cancer | 3.7 | 256 | 8.5 | 37 | 3.2 | 219 |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 66.7 | 5806 | 127.7 | 493 | 61.5 | 5313 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 27.5 | 2587 | 37.0 | 135 | 26.6 | 2452 |
| COPD‡ | 16.5 | 1404 | 41.5 | 153 | 14.8 | 1251 |
| Other forms of heart disease§ | 13.2 | 1148 | 29.5 | 118 | 11.9 | 1030 |
| Transport accidents | 11.6 | 486 | 20.5 | 129 | 9.8 | 357 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 11.2 | 840 | 43.8 | 172 | 8.6 | 668 |
| Intentional self-harm | 11.3 | 505 | 15.6 | 102 | 10.2 | 403 |
| Organic mental disorders | 6.0 | 662 | 3.4 | 10 | 6.0 | 652 |
| Pneumonia and influenza | 3.9 | 381 | 5.3 | 22 | 3.7 | 359 |
| Hypertensive disease | 2.9 | 258 | 8.3 | 30 | 2.5 | 228 |
| Assault | 1.7 | 71 | 3.4 | 23 | 1.2 | 48 |
| Source: NZHIS Mortality Data | | | ||||
† Includes cancer of the colon, rectosigmoid junction, rectum, anus, and anal canal.
‡ Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
§ Includes pericardial diseases, valve disorders, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, conduction disorders, cardiac arrest, and heart failure.
Infant and perinatal mortality in 2003, 2004 and 2005
An infant death is defined as a liveborn infant dying before the first year of life is completed. A neonatal death is defined as the death of a liveborn infant before the 28th day of life, and a post-neonatal death as the death of a liveborn infant between the 28th day and the first year of life. Perinatal deaths consist of fetal deaths and deaths in the first week of life (early neonates). Fetal deaths are defined in this report as stillbirths of 20 weeks or more gestation, or 400 grams birth weight.
The fetal and perinatal mortality rates are calculated per 1000 total births (fetal deaths plus livebirths), while the death rates for neonatal and infant deaths are calculated per 1000 livebirths.
Infant and perinatal mortality in 2000
An infant death is defined as a liveborn infant dying before the first year of life is completed. A neonatal death is defined as the death of a liveborn infant before the 28th day of life, and a post-neonatal death as the death of a liveborn infant between the 28th day and the first year of life. Perinatal deaths consist of fetal deaths and deaths in the first week of life (early neonates). Fetal deaths are defined in this report as stillbirths of 20 weeks or more gestation, or 400 grams birth weight.
The fetal and perinatal mortality rates are calculated per 1000 total births (fetal deaths plus livebirths), while the death rates for neonatal and infant deaths are calculated per 1000 livebirths.
Fetal and infant mortality rates, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
2003
Type of death | Māori | Pacific Island | Other | Total | ||||
Number | Rate | Number | Rate | Number | Rate | Number | Rate | |
| Fetal deaths§ | 103 | 6.5 | 48 | 7.7 | 242 | 6.9 | 393 | 6.9 |
| Early neonatal deaths† | 41 | 2.6 | 26 | 4.2 | 74 | 2.1 | 141 | 2.5 |
| Total perinatal deaths§ | 144 | 9.1 | 74 | 11.9 | 316 | 9 | 534 | 9.4 |
| Late neonatal deaths† | 14 | 0.9 | 4 | 0.7 | 25 | 0.7 | 43 | 0.8 |
| Total neonatal deaths† | 55 | 3.5 | 30 | 4.9 | 99 | 2.8 | 184 | 3.3 |
| Post-neonatal deaths† | 63 | 4 | 11 | 1.8 | 46 | 1.3 | 120 | 2.1 |
| Total infant deaths† | 118 | 7.5 | 41 | 6.7 | 145 | 4.2 | 304 | 5.4 |
| Source: Fetal and Infant deaths 2003 & 2004 | ||||||||
2004
Type of death | Māori | Pacific Island | Other | Total | ||||
Number | Rate | Number | Rate | Number | Rate | Number | Rate | |
| Fetal deaths§ | 139 | 8.3 | 65 | 10.1 | 301 | 8.3 | 505 | 8.5 |
| Early neonatal deaths† | 36 | 2.2 | 25 | 3.9 | 100 | 2.8 | 161 | 2.7 |
| Total perinatal deaths§ | 175 | 10.5 | 90 | 14 | 401 | 11.1 | 666 | 11.2 |
| Late neonatal deaths† | 11 | 0.7 | 6 | 0.9 | 20 | 0.6 | 37 | 0.6 |
| Total neonatal deaths† | 47 | 2.8 | 31 | 4.9 | 120 | 3.3 | 198 | 3.4 |
| Post-neonatal deaths† | 76 | 4.6 | 24 | 3.8 | 49 | 1.4 | 149 | 2.5 |
| Total infant deaths† | 123 | 7.4 | 55 | 8.7 | 169 | 4.7 | 347 | 5.9 |
| Source: Fetal and Infant deaths 2003 & 2004 | ||||||||
2005
Type of death | Māori | Pacific Island | Other | Total | ||||
Number | Rate | Number | Rate | Number | Rate | Number | Rate | |
| Fetal deaths§ | 113 | 6.6 | 40 | 6.4 | 250 | 7.0 | 403 | 6.8 |
| Early neonatal deaths† | 47 | 2.8 | 24 | 3.8 | 77 | 2.2 | 148 | 2.5 |
| Total perinatal deaths§ | 160 | 9.3 | 64 | 10.2 | 327 | 9.2 | 551 | 9.3 |
| Late neonatal deaths† | 10 | 0.6 | 5 | 0.8 | 20 | 0.6 | 35 | 0.6 |
| Total neonatal deaths† | 57 | 3.4 | 29 | 4.6 | 97 | 2.7 | 183 | 3.1 |
| Post-neonatal deaths† | 57 | 3.4 | 14 | 2.2 | 40 | 1.1 | 111 | 1.9 |
| Total infant deaths† | 114 | 6.7 | 43 | 6.9 | 137 | 3.9 | 294 | 5.0 |
| Source: NZHIS Mortality Data | ||||||||
† rate per 1000 live births.
* Note: Data for 2005 is provisional.
Selected causes of infant mortality are shown below for 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Selected causes of infant mortality, 2003 to 2005.
| Cause of death | 2003 | Rate per 1000 live births | 2004 | Rate per 1000 live births | 2005 | Rate per 1000 live births |
| Conditions originating in the perinatal period | 134 | 2.4 | 147 | 2.5 |