News release

From: Pasifika Medical Association Group

Changes in life expectancy in Aotearoa New Zealand: a cause-specific decomposition analysis over 20 years

Life expectancy increased for all major population groups in Aotearoa New Zealand between 2001 and 2022, with Māori experiencing the largest gains of around 5 years. This study examined which diseases and health conditions were responsible for these improvements, finding that reductions in deaths from heart disease and cancer were the biggest drivers of longer lives across all groups. Falling smoking rates and better treatment and prevention of heart disease played an important role, and reductions in deaths from diabetes also contributed meaningfully, particularly for Māori and Pacific peoples. Despite these improvements, Māori and Pacific peoples still have considerably shorter life expectancies than European and Asian New Zealanders, and closing this gap will take sustained effort over many decades. Further progress is likely to depend on ensuring that all communities have fair access to prevention programmes, cancer screening and timely treatment, as well as addressing the broader social and economic conditions that shape people’s health across their lives.