Our Government's Smokefree goal is that by 2025 less than five percent of New Zealanders will be smokers. This was established in March 2011 in response to the recommendations of a landmark Parliamentary inquiry by the Māori Affairs select committee.
Smoking rates are decreasing, but there are still significant inequities for Māori, Pacific peoples and those living in socioeconomically deprived areas.
The current smoking rate of New Zealand adults is 13.4 percent in 2019/2020, which has decreased from 16.6 percent in 2014/15 15 and from 18.2 percent in 2011/12. The current Māori smoking rate is 31.4% in 2019/20, which has decreased from 38.1% in 2015/15, and 40.2 percent in 2011/12.
Māori smoking rates remain much higher than those for the overall population. Māori women have New Zealand’s highest smoking rates, at 32%. Māori men also have a disproportionably higher current smoking rate of 25% (Ministry of Health 2020).
Progress to Smokefree 2025
View the most recent smoking data:
- The Ministry of Health’s Annual Data Explorer 2019/20
- Tobacco Control Data Repository
- Kupe Data Explorer - Kupe presents the most recent results from Te Hiringa Hauora surveys to monitor health and wellbeing behaviours and attitudes of New Zealanders
- Evaluation of the tobacco excise increases as a contributor to Smokefree 2025, December 2018
- New Zealand Health Survey
Developing a Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan
A decade has passed since New Zealand adopted the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 goal. To meet our smokefree 2025 goal significant smoking related inequties must be eliminated. Smoking rates and smoking related harm must be reduced among Māori, Pacific peoples and those living in our most disadvantaged communities.
In April 2021 we released a document Proposals for a Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan. An online consultation was released from April 2021 to 31 May 2021 to gather public feedback on the policies to achieve the Smokefree 2025 goal.
We heard from over 5,100 groups and individuals representing diverse populations and interests. The submissions are now being analysed and a final Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan will be published shortly.
