Annual Update of Key Results 2024/25: New Zealand Health Survey

Most New Zealanders are in good health

• In 2024/25, 86.6% of adults reported they were in ‘good health’, which is defined as good, very good or excellent health. This level of good health is similar to levels reported over the previous five years.
• Disabled adults were less likely to report being in good health (61.4%) than non-disabled adults (89.0%). 
• Nearly all children (97.5%) were in good health in 2024/25, according to their parent or caregiver.
• Most adults reported high or very high levels of life satisfaction (83.3%), with a similar proportion reporting high or very high levels of family wellbeing (83.2%).
• Disabled adults were less likely than non-disabled adults to report high or very high levels of life satisfaction (64.3% and 85.2%, respectively) and family wellbeing (71.2% and 84.3%, respectively).

Daily smoking and daily vaping rates are similar to last year

• 6.8% of adults were daily smokers in 2024/25, which is similar to the previous year (6.9%) but down from 11.9% in 2019/20.
• Daily smoking rates are higher in men (8.3%) than women (5.3%), with the gap widening over the last two years.
• Daily smoking rates have declined over the last five years in all ethnic groups except Asian, but inequities remain: Māori (15.0%), Pacific peoples (10.3%), European/Other (5.7%), and Asian (4.5%).
• Adults living in the most deprived neighbourhoods[1] were more likely to be daily smokers than adults living in the least deprived neighbourhoods (12.9% and 2.4%, respectively).
• 11.7% of adults were daily vapers in 2024/25, similar to the previous year (11.1%) but up from 3.5% in 2019/20.
• The highest daily vaping rates were in Māori (27.5%), Pacific peoples (20.0%), those aged 18–24 years (23.0%) and 25–34 years (20.5%), and adults living in the most deprived neighbourhoods (21.1%).
• 17.1% of adults smoked and/or vaped daily in 2024/25, up from 14.5% in 2019/20.
• Disabled adults were more likely to smoke and/or vape daily than non-disabled adults (22.1% and 16.7%, respectively).
• See Trends in smoking and vaping: New Zealand Health Survey for more information.

[1] Neighbourhood deprivation refers to the New Zealand Index of Deprivation 2018 (NZDep2018), which measures the level of socioeconomic deprivation for each neighbourhood (Statistical Area 1) according to a combination of the following 2018 Census variables: household income, benefit receipt, household crowding, home ownership, employment status, qualifications, single parent families, living in home with dampness/mould and access to the internet.

Exposure to second-hand smoke continues to decline

• 1.3% of children were exposed to second-hand smoke inside the home in 2024/25, down from 3.3% in 2015/16. Child exposure to second-hand smoke while travelling in a car or van decreased from 4.0% to 0.8% over the same period.
• 3.6% of adults were exposed to second-hand smoke inside the home in 2024/25, down from 6.6% in 2015/16. Adult exposure to second-hand smoke while travelling in a car or van decreased from 9.5% to 4.5% over the same period.

One in six adults has a hazardous drinking pattern

• Three out of four adults (74.9%) drank alcohol in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey, down from 81.6% in 2019/20. Past-year drinking rates varied by ethnic group: European/Other (82.0%), Māori (75.3%), Pacific peoples (57.7%) and Asian (54.6%).
• One in six adults (16.6%) in the total population were classified as a hazardous drinker[2] in 2024/25, which is the same as the previous year (16.6%) but down from 21.3% in 2019/20.
• One in 12 adults (8.2%) in the total population reported drinking six or more drinks on one occasion at least weekly. This is a decrease since 2019/20, when the rate was 12.0%.

[2] Hazardous drinking among the total population. Hazardous drinking refers to a score of 8 or more on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), which suggests hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption.

Disabled adults are most likely to experience high levels of psychological distress

• Most adults experienced no/low (65.4%) or moderate (20.4%) levels of psychological (mental) distress[3] in the four weeks prior to the 2024/25 survey.
• One in seven adults (14.3%) experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress in the four weeks prior to the 2024/25 survey, up from 7.4% in 2019/20.
• Women were more likely to experience high or very high levels of psychological distress than men (16.6% and 11.4%, respectively).
• High or very high levels of psychological distress were more common in disabled adults (35.5%), young people aged 15–24 years (22.9%), Māori (22.5%), Pacific peoples (23.8%) and adults living in the most deprived neighbourhoods (21.4%).

[3] Psychological distress was measured by the 10-item questionnaire Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). It refers to a person’s experience of symptoms such as nervousness, restlessness, fatigue, or depression in the past four weeks. The K10 is a screening tool, rather than a diagnostic tool, so it’s not recommended to use it to measure the prevalence of mental health conditions in the population.

One in eight children likely to have emotional symptoms and/or behavioural problems

• The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)[4] examines emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems and prosocial behaviour in children aged 2–14 years.
• In 2024/25, one in eight children (12.4%) were likely to have emotional and/or behavioural problems, meaning that they have a risk of experiencing substantial difficulties in these four aspects of development: emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity and peer problems.
• Disabled children were more likely to have emotional and/or behavioural problems than non-disabled children (52.3% and 5.2%, respectively).

[4] The SDQ is a screening tool, rather than a diagnostic tool.

More people are talking to family, whānau or friends about mental health

• The proportion of people consulting family, whānau or friends about their mental health or substance use in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey increased over the last year in adults (from 16.0% to 22.5%) and children aged 2–14 years (from 9.9% to 13.5%).
• The proportion of people consulting a health professional about their mental health or substance use in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey was similar to previous years: 
  • 9.3% of adults and 6.2% of children aged 2–14 years consulted a psychologist, counsellor or psychotherapist 
  • 13.7% of adults and 7.6% of children aged 2–14 years consulted a GP or nurse.
• About one in 10 adults (10.5%) and about one in 15 children aged 2–14 years (6.3%) reported an unmet need for professional help for their emotions, stress, mental health or substance use in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey, compared to 8.8% and 7.0% in 2021/22, respectively.
• Disabled adults were more likely to report unmet need for professional mental health support than non-disabled adults (21.9% and 9.4%, respectively). Differences were even greater for disabled and non-disabled children (28.9% and 3.4%, respectively).

Most children have a parent or caregiver who copes well with parenting

• Nearly all children (91.6%) had a parent or caregiver who reported having someone they can turn to for day-to-day emotional support with raising children. 
• Three out of four children (76.5%) had a parent or caregiver who coped well or very well with the demands of raising children. 

One in five children live in households where food runs out

• One in five children (21.4%) lived in households where food ran out often or sometimes[5] in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey. This indicator has fluctuated over recent years making trends hard to interpret.
• Nearly one in two Pacific children (44.3%) and one in three Māori children (32.3%) lived in households where food ran out often or sometimes in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey. This compares to one in five European/Other children (18.3%) and about one in eight Asian children (13.2%).
• Nearly one in four children (22.6%) lived in households where they often or sometimes ate less because of a lack of money. 

[5] This indicator was included in the annual Child Poverty Related Indicators Report produced by the Ministry of Social Development.

Fewer people meeting vegetable intake guidelines

• 46.8% of adults and 72.9% of children aged 2–14 years ate the recommended number of servings of fruit in 2024/25, similar to previous years.
• The proportion of people meeting vegetable intake guidelines has declined over the last year, from 9.0% to 6.8% in adults and from 8.6% to 5.8% in children aged 2–14 years.
• In 2024/25, 80.3% of children aged 2–14 years ate breakfast every day, similar to previous years.
• Among children aged four months to under five years, 58.2% were exclusively breastfed until at least four months of age. This is an increase from 50.0% in 2019/20.

One in eight adults little or no physical activity

• In 2024/25, 46.2% of adults met physical activity guidelines (ie, did at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity activity in the past week, spread out over the week). This is similar to the previous year (46.6%), but down from 52.2% in 2019/20.
• One in eight adults (12.3%) did little or no physical activity (ie, less than 30 minutes of physical activity in the past seven days).
• 38.6% of children aged 5–14 years usually used active transport (eg, walking and cycling) to get to and from school in 2024/25, compared to 42.7% in 2019/20.
• About one in three children aged 6 months to 14 years (31.8%) met recreational screen time guidelines[6] in 2024/25, which is not significantly different to 2019/20 (34.1%).
• Children aged 10–14 years (19.7%) were less likely to meet screen time recommendations than younger children (41.2% for 5–9 years and 36.0% for 6 months to 4 years).

[6] The Ministry of Health recommends that children limit recreational screen time to the following hours per day: 0 hours for 6-23 months, less than one hour for 2-4 years, and less than 2 hours for 5-14 years.

Obesity rates in adults have increased

• In 2024/25, 62.2% of children aged 2–14 years and 31.0% of adults were of a healthy weight, which is similar to previous years.
• One in three adults (34.2%) were classified as obese in 2024/25, up from 31.3% in 2019/20. 
• About one in two adults (46.8%) living in the most deprived neighbourhoods were classified as obese, compared to about one in four adults (27.6%) living in the least deprived neighbourhoods.
• 11.7% of children aged 2–14 years were classified as obese in 2024/25. Obesity rates in children have fluctuated over recent years making trends hard to interpret. 

One in four adults gets less sleep than recommended

• Two out of three adults (67.4%) met sleep duration guidelines in 2024/25, while about one in four (27.0%) slept less than recommended, and 5.7% slept more than recommended. 
• The average number of hours’ sleep for adults was 7.3 hours.
• Three out of four children (77.2%) met sleep duration guidelines in 2024/25, while 18.0% slept less than recommended and 4.8% slept more than recommended. 

Most people reported good, very good or excellent oral health

• Three out of four adults (76.9%) reported their oral health to be good, very good or excellent in 2024/25. 
• Nearly all children (91.6%) had their oral health rated as good, very good or excellent by their parent or caregiver.
• About two out of three adults (66.2%) and children (62.9%) brush their teeth with standard fluoride toothpaste at least twice each day. 
• 43.0% of adults avoided going to a dental health care worker in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey due to cost.

The most common reported reason for not visiting a GP was ‘time taken to get an appointment too long’

• About one in four adults (25.5%) reported ‘time taken to get an appointment too long’ as a barrier to visiting a GP in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey, which is similar to the previous year (24.8%) but an increase since 2021/22 (11.6%).
• About one in five children (19.5%) had their parent or caregiver report that the time taken to get an appointment was a barrier to visiting a GP in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey, which is an increase from the previous year (16.6%). 
• One in seven adults (14.9%) reported not visiting a GP due to cost in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey, which is similar to the previous year (15.1%).
• Pacific adults were most likely to report not visiting a GP due to cost (25.1%), followed by Māori (18.7%), European/Other (14.5%), and Asian (12.8%).
• 3.6% of adults did not collect a prescription due to cost in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey, similar to the previous year (3.9%).
• All barriers to seeing a GP were more common in disabled adults, especially the following reasons: owing money, lack of transport, and lack of support person. 

Visits to the GP and emergency department were stable

• Three out of four adults (76.2%) and two out of three children (67.1%) visited a GP in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey, which is similar to the previous year.
• About one in five children (19.1%) and one in six adults (17.1%) visited an emergency department (ED) at least once in the 12 months prior to the 2024/25 survey.
• Disabled adults were more likely to visit an ED than non-disabled adults (35.0% and 15.4%, respectively).

Other health conditions

• The long-term condition section of the survey was refreshed in 2024/25, with some questions being revised and others added. This resulted in a break in the time series for some indicators (chronic pain, arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout and rheumatoid arthritis) and the addition of a new indicator (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD).
• 27.5% of adults reported chronic pain in 2024/25, according to the new internationally recognised definition. Rates of chronic pain were highest in disabled adults (60.8%) and people aged 75 years or older (40.3%).
• About one in 20 adults (4.8%) had been diagnosed with gout. Rates of gout were higher in men (7.9%) than women (1.9%).
• 4.4% of adults aged 45 years or older had been diagnosed with COPD. Rates of COPD were higher in adults living in the most deprived neighbourhoods (6.6%) than adults living in the least deprived neighbourhoods (2.9%). 
• About one in 10 children aged 2–14 years (10.9%) had asthma and were using treatments in 2024/25, down from 13.4% in 2019/20.