Statistics

General heart statistics in New Zealand

195,000
people in New Zealand are currently living with heart disease

That's more than one in 23 adults [1]

30%
Almost 30% of deaths in NZ are caused by cardiovascular disease

It is the leading cause of death in New Zealand and includes heart, stroke and blood vessel disease [2]

90 mins
Every 90 minutes a New Zealander dies from heart disease

Many of these deaths are premature and preventable [2]

12,000
Around 12,000 people are hospitalised for a heart attack yearly

Approximately every 45 minutes someone in NZ is admitted to hospital with a heart attack [3]

Women's heart disease

No. 1
Cardiovascular disease is the no. 1 killer of women globally

But it is often thought to be a 'male' problem [4]

3x
Women who smoke are three times as likely to have a heart attack

Compared to women who don't smoke [5]

8
New Zealand women a day die from heart disease

That’s around 55 women each week, and more than 2,900 per year [2]

2x
Heart disease kills twice as many women in New Zealand

than any other single cause [2]

Sources

  • [1]  Ministry of Health 2023. Annual Data explorer 2024/25. 
  • [2]  Te Whatu Ora. Mortality Web Tool. 
  • [3]  NZ Hospital discharge data. 2013-2022. ICD codes I21-22.  
  • [4]  WHO Global Health Observatory. 2016. Accessed 27/03/19  
  • [5]  Oestreicher Stock, E., Redberg, R. (2012) Cardiovascular disease in Women. Curr Probl Cardiol,37(11), 45-526