The New Zealand Health Survey is a key tool for monitoring smoking and vaping among people aged 15 years and older. Questions on smoking have been included annually since 2011/12. Questions on vaping were first asked in 2015/16 as part of a tobacco use module, and became part of the annual survey in 2017/18. Please refer to the latest Questionnaire and Content Guide for the questions on smoking and vaping.
The Annual Data Explorer includes data for several smoking and vaping indicators, with results available for various population subgroups (gender, age, ethnic group, neighbourhood deprivation, disability status, health region) and over time.
Here we present data on smoking and vaping in a series of graphs to help visualise trends. The focus is on daily smoking and vaping because daily use is more likely to indicate dependence.
Things to consider when interpreting these results:
- The New Zealand Health Survey provides a snapshot at one point in time. It can highlight associations between indicators, but it cannot show cause and effect. For example, the survey can show that increases in vaping mirror decreases in smoking in some groups, but it does not necessarily mean the increase in vaping caused the decrease in smoking or vice versa.
- Survey results have been more variable over the last few years due to smaller sample sizes since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sample sizes were smallest in 2021/22 and 2022/23, which resulted in more variability.
- Survey results can fluctuate from year to year, so it is important to focus on long-term trends, especially for smaller population groups. We use 95% confidence intervals to indicate the uncertainty in an estimate. For more information about confidence intervals see the Methodology Report.
Trends for the total population (aged 15 years and over)
- The prevalence of daily smoking has declined steadily since 2011/12, with the rate of decline increasing slightly from around 2019/20.
- In 2023/24, the prevalence of daily smoking was 6.9%. This is similar to the previous year (6.8%), but down from 16.4% in 2011/12.
- The estimated number of daily smokers decreased from 573,000 to 300,000 from 2011/12 to 2023/24.
- Daily vaping prevalence was low (0.9%) when first measured in 2015/16, then increased gradually for a few years before increasing more quickly from 2020/21 onwards.
- In 2023/24, the prevalence of daily vaping was 11.1%, up slightly from 9.7% the previous year.
- The estimated number of daily vapers increased from 33,000 to 480,000 over the 8 years from 2015/16 to 2023/24.
Figure 1: Prevalence of daily smoking and daily vaping, total population aged 15 years and over, 2011/12 to 2023/24
Trends in daily smoking and daily vaping vary by age group
- Daily smoking decreased in all age groups from 2011/12 to 2023/24, although in the two oldest age groups (65–74, 75+ years) the decreases were relatively small.
- Daily smoking has decreased more quickly in younger age groups.
- Daily vaping increased in all age groups from 2015/16 to 2023/24, except those aged 75+ years.
- Daily vaping has increased more quickly in younger age groups, especially those aged 15–17 and 18–24 years. Increases in daily vaping in these age groups exceed decreases in daily smoking.
- Among adults aged 25 to 64 years, increases in daily vaping are similar in size to decreases in daily smoking.
- Daily vaping prevalence is now higher than daily smoking prevalence in the four youngest age groups (15 to 44 years).
- Daily vaping prevalence is slightly lower than daily smoking prevalence in those aged 45 to 64 years.
- Daily smoking prevalence is higher than daily vaping prevalence in the two oldest age groups (65–74 and 75+ years).
Figure 2: Prevalence of daily smoking and daily vaping, by age group, 2011/12 to 2023/24
Trends in daily smoking and daily vaping vary by neighbourhood deprivation, as measured by the New Zealand Deprivation Index
- Daily smoking has decreased in all quintiles of neighbourhood deprivation from 2011/12 to 2023/24.
- Daily vaping has increased in all quintiles of neighbourhood deprivation from 2015/16 to 2023/24.
- The prevalence of daily smoking continues to be higher in the most deprived neighbourhoods. In 2023/24, the prevalence of daily smoking was 13.9% in the most deprived neighbourhoods (Quintile 5), compared with 2.5% in the least deprived neighbourhoods (Quintile 1).
Figure 3: Prevalence of daily smoking and daily vaping, by NZDep quintile, 2011/12 to 2023/24
Trends in daily smoking and daily vaping vary by ethnic group
- Daily smoking has declined in all ethnic groups from 2011/12 to 2023/24, although trends have been more variable in Asian and Pacific peoples most likely due to smaller sample sizes.
- 3.8% of Asian adults were daily smokers in in 2023/24, down from 7.9% in 2011/12. The prevalence of daily smoking among Asian adults has hovered around 3-4% for the last few years.
- 12.3% of Pacific adults were daily smokers in 2023/24, down from 22.6% in 2011/12. Daily smoking among Pacific results has fluctuated over the last few years, but these changes should not be interpreted as increases or decreases compared to the previous year – the long-term trend is downward (see 3-year average graph).
- Daily vaping has increased in all ethnic groups from 2015/16 to 2023/24, with daily vaping surpassing daily smoking a few years ago.
- Increases in daily vaping have been larger for Māori and Pacific adults, with significant increases occurring over the last year.
- In 2023/24, the prevalence of daily vaping was 6.2% in Asian, 9.8% in European/Other, 28.8% in Māori, and 21.5% in Pacific adults.
Figure 4: Prevalence of daily smoking and daily vaping, by ethnic group, 2011/12 to 2023/24
To better understand trends in smoking among Pacific peoples a 3-year rolling average[1] has been created. As shown in the chart below, this approach makes it easier to see the downward trend in daily smoking in Pacific adults.
Figure 5: Prevalence of daily smoking and daily vaping, Pacific peoples aged 15+ years, 3-year rolling average 2017–20 to 2021–24
[1] Each point on the chart is an average of 3 consecutive years of survey data. For example, the first point is data for 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20. The last point is data for 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24.
Enquiries
For further information please contact: [email protected]
