Pacific heart health statistics

Pacific Heartbeat focuses on the heart health needs of New Zealand’s Pasifika population. We take a look at the heart health statistics of Pacific people in New Zealand.

Heart disease in Pacific people in New Zealand

17,000
More than 17,000 Pacific people live with heart disease

195,000 people in New Zealand across all backgrounds live with heart disease. [1]

1 in 3
1 in 3 Pacific deaths from heart disease are between ages 35-65

Compared to one in ten deaths for non-Pacific, non-Maori New Zealanders. [1]

1.2x
Pacific people are 1.2x more likely to live with heart disease

than non-Pacific. [2]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Pacific people in New Zeland

27%
of all Pacific deaths are from CVD

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for Pacific people. [1]

524
Pacific people died from cardiovascular disease in 2022

60% of these deaths were premature (before age 75). [1]

3 in 10
Pacific men died from CVD in 2022

That’s 30% of Pacific men who died from CVD. [1]

1 in 4
of all Pacific women who died in 2016 died from CVD

That’s 25% women who died from CVD. [1]

Sources

[1] Ministry of Health data tables 2016

[2] New Zealand Health Survey Māori

[3] NZ Health Survey 2017-18