Lung cancer death rates in New Zealand
New Zealand: Lung cancer death rates was 19.55 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018. ▲ Rising
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.
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
- Age population, age 18, male, interpolated 34,553 (2025)
- Age population, age 16, female, interpolated 33,096 (2025)
- Age population, age 16, male, interpolated 35,227 (2025)
- Age population, age 17, female, interpolated 33,124 (2025)
- Age population, age 17, male, interpolated 35,088 (2025)
- Age population, age 18, female, interpolated 32,808 (2025)
- Age population, age 07, female, interpolated 30,056 (2025)
- Age population, age 06, male, interpolated 31,227 (2025)
- Age population, age 06, female, interpolated 29,559 (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male 488,547 (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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 69 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Reported deaths from trachea, bronchus, lung cancers in females in those aged all ages per 100,000 people.