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Story: Men’s health

Mortality rates for men by ethnicity, 1981–2009

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This graph shows the number of expected deaths each year per 100,000 of the population for four ethnic groups. The figures have been age-standardised to ensure that the different age composition of the populations do not affect the rates, and only ages one to 74 are included. While the mortality rates for all ethnic groups fell in the 20 years after 1981, those for Māori and Pasifika men remained significantly higher than those for European and, more especially, Asian men.

Using this item

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: G. Disney, J. Atkinson and T. Blakely New Zealand Census Mortality and Cancer Trends Study Data Explorer. Ministry of Health & University of Otago, 2016

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How to cite this page

Robert Beaglehole, Men’s health – Health of New Zealand men, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/26952/mortality-rates-for-men-by-ethnicity-1981-2009 (accessed 5 June 2026).

Story by Robert Beaglehole, published 24 February 2011, updated 1 July 2017.