COVID-19 and long COVID 2024/25: New Zealand Health Survey

This page presents a summary of data from questions about COVID-19 and long COVID added to the New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS) in 2024/25. These questions asked adults aged 15 years and over if they had ever had a COVID-19 infection, and if they experienced any prolonged symptoms following that infection.

Key findings

• Nearly 4 out of 5 adults reported ever having COVID-19.
• About 1 in 11 of all adults reported ever having long COVID symptoms.
• Women, Māori, and disabled adults were more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms.
• Approximately 185,000 adults were experiencing long COVID symptoms in 2024/25.

How to interpret the results

All data is self-reported

It is important to note that, as is the case for most survey data, the questions asked relied on respondents reporting their own experiences. This can lead to under or over-reporting, which can differ by demographic group. For example, individuals who had asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 and were unaware of the infection would likely not report ever having a COVID-19 infection. Some individuals may also have feelings of stigma around COVID-19 and are therefore less likely to report ever having an infection.

We recommend being mindful of this and exercising caution when interpreting the results, particularly for Pacific peoples.

In addition, there is currently no internationally agreed definition or diagnostic test for long COVID. Individuals’ responses will reflect their understanding of the symptoms that can be associated with long COVID, such as fatigue, poor concentration or memory, shortness of breath and loss of taste or smell. These symptoms can also be caused by, or affected by, other factors.

Finding more information

Information on the survey questions and indicator definitions used in this report, as well as information on survey methodology, technical information and a link to the questionnaire are available at the end of the page.

More information about prolonged symptoms attributable to infection with COVID-19 is available in the following evidence brief: Prolonged Symptoms Attributable to Infection with COVID-19. 

Read patient information about COVID-19 and long COVID on Health New Zealand’s website. 

Results

Nearly 4 out of 5 adults reported ever having COVID-19

New data from the 2024/25 NZHS shows that nearly 4 out of 5 (77.7%) adults reported ever having COVID-19, reflecting over 3.3 million people. 75.9% of all adults reported having a positive RAT or PCR test, while 1.8% of all adults said they believed they had had COVID-19 but did not get a positive test.

Women (79.8%) reported higher rates of ever having COVID-19 than men (75.5%). Rates were lower among Pacific adults (71.5%), Asian adults (71.2%), adults living in the most deprived neighbourhoods (70.7%), disabled adults (68.5%), and adults aged 65-years-and-over (64.4%).

About 1 in 11 of all adults reported ever having long COVID symptoms

Respondents who reported ever having COVID-19 were asked if they had experienced any symptoms lasting three months or longer that they did not have prior to having COVID-19, and were not explained by a different diagnosis. This was referred to as long COVID in the questionnaire.

Among the total population, about 1 in 11 adults (9.2% or 401,000 people) reported ever having long COVID symptoms. This represents 11.9% of adults who reported ever having COVID-19.

Further breakdowns about demographic groups ever having long COVID symptoms are available in the downloadable dataset below.

Women, Māori, and disabled adults were more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms

Women were more likely than men to report ever having COVID-19 and were also more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms. Among those who reported ever having COVID-19, about 1 in 7 women (14.9%) reported ever having long COVID symptoms, compared to about 1 in 12 men (8.5%).

This difference between men and women reflects different outcomes by age group. As shown in Figure 1 below, women under the age of 65 who reported ever having COVID-19 were more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms than men of the same age group.

Māori adults were more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms after having COVID-19 compared to non-Māori adults. Among those who reported ever having COVID-19, approximately 1 in 6 Māori adults (15.5%) reported ever having long COVID symptoms, compared to approximately 1 in 9 non-Māori adults (11.3%).

Disabled adults were also more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms after having COVID-19 compared to non-disabled adults. Among those who reported ever having COVID-19, approximately 1 in 4 disabled adults (22.8%) reported ever having long COVID symptoms, compared to approximately 1 in 9 non-disabled adults (11.0%).

These figures only show associations between long COVID and disability rather than cause-and-effect relationships, and other factors may contribute to the differences. We cannot determine from the NZHS data alone whether the individual was disabled prior to developing long COVID or if their long COVID symptoms have resulted in a disability.

Approximately 185,000 adults were experiencing long COVID symptoms in 2024/25

Approximately 185,000 adults (4.3%) reported currently experiencing long COVID symptoms at the time they were interviewed in 2024/25. This reflects approximately 117,000 women (5.3%) and 67,000 men (3.1%).

Further breakdowns about demographic groups currently experiencing long COVID symptoms at the time of the 2024/25 survey are available in the downloadable dataset below. 

Among those who reported ever having long COVID symptoms, approximately half (48.5%) were still experiencing symptoms at the time they were interviewed in 2024/25.

Download the data

The downloadable dataset below contains aggregated data by gender, age, ethnic group, neighbourhood deprivation, disability status and health region. It also contains 95% confidence intervals and adjusted rate ratios.

Document

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COVID data table

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Methodology and data notes

Questions used in this analysis

Please see the Questionnaires and Content Guide 2024/25 for the full questionnaire text.

Indicator definitions

These indicators reflect respondents’ self-reported experience. For more information see: All data is self-reported.

Use of statistical significance

This page primarily focuses on differences that are statistically significant. However, it is important to note that for smaller population groups, such as Pacific peoples, larger differences between estimates are required to reach statistical significance.

For more information on the survey methodology and questions

Data for the 2024/25 New Zealand Health Survey was collected between July 2024 and July 2025. Questions on COVID-19 and long COVID were asked of adults aged 15 years and over, with a sample size of 9,253 adults.

Please see the Methodology Report 2024/25 for full details on survey design, sampling and weighting, fieldwork procedures, and confidence intervals.

Please see the Questionnaires and Content Guide 2024/25 for the full questionnaire text.