June 19, 2025

What’s the current state of Māori Health? explainer

Matthew Tukaki Posted On June 19, 2025

The health system continue to undergo changes so we thought we would take a look at where Maori sit in the health landscape in terms of health statistics. Though the gap has marginally narrowed, it remains stark. Achieving equitable health outcomes demands sustained commitment—not just funding, but partnership-led service design, addressing social determinants, and emboldening Māori-led health systems. Māori life expectancy remains ~7 years shorter than non-Māori: Māori women ~77 years vs ~84 years; Māori men ~73 years vs ~80-81 years. Regional variations persist — e.g. Māori males in South Canterbury have a life expectancy ~75.7 years, ~4.1 years behind non‑Māori. Cardiovascular disease: Māori are over twice as likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 1.5× as likely to be hospitalized. Māori females particularly at risk. Obesity and related conditions: Māori adults are • twice as likely to be obese (~48%) and diabetic and 1.4× more likely to have high blood pressure. Smoking and respiratory health: Māori adults smoke at double the rate of non‑Māori (~41%), contributing to high lung cancer and respiratory disease rates. Mortality & self-inflicted harm: Māori children have 1.5× the mortality rate of non‑Māori. Among youth aged 15-24, Māori are ~2.6× more likely to die by suicide; Māori males nearly double, females ~1.8×. Mental health: Among young Māori, only ~49% report good wellbeing; 53% report depression symptoms and 45% report suicidal thoughts . Preventative Care & Immunisation: Vaccination coverage: At eight months, only ~69.7% of Māori infants are fully immunised, versus ~88.6% of non‑Māori. This gap has widened since 2015. Screening inequities: Recent policy changes, like raising bowel cancer screening age, have sparked criticism for potentially increasing institutional inequity. Health System Representation; Workforce underrepresentation: Māori make up 17% of NZ’s population but currently only 8.5% of the health workforce. While new medical graduates are ~16.5% Māori, reaching true proportional representation by 2033 would require ~65% of trainees to be Māori. Cultural safety and bias: Experiences of racism by Māori within the health system persist; one survey reported 36.5% of Māori experiencing unfair health treatment in 2020-2. Systemic Initiatives & Policies: Pae Ora Act & Māori Health Authority (Te Aka Whai Ora): Established in 2022 to deliver culturally responsive health services; its future has been uncertain, with proposals to disestablish it by June 2024 — and further amendments announced June 2025. Investment in mental health & primary care: The “Access & Choice” programme (2019-2024) expanded community-based and Kaupapa Māori mental health services. As of April 2025, it has boosted Māori-specific services. Government budget 2025: Allocates NZ$1 b for hospitals, plus NZ$54 m operational capital for Māori education; funding cuts include ~NZ$32.5 m from Māori housing and education initiatives

Persistent inequities: Despite improvements in some areas, Māori remain disproportionately affected by chronic disease, lower life expectancy, mental health challenges, and underrepresentation in health services.
Structural underpinnings: Factors include institutional racism, socioeconomic deprivation, inadequate culturally safe care, and policy shifts affecting Māori-led health service control.

Redressing these gaps requires systemic action—strengthening Māori leadership in health delivery, growing workforce representation, closing preventive care gaps, and ensuring equitable policy like maintaining or reinforcing the Māori Health Authority.