NZ’s tobacco control sector will meet in Tāmaki Makaurau today and tomorrow to reflect on progress and outline priorities beyond Smokefree 2025.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, smoking among adults has fallen significantly over the past decade, but major inequities persist-particularly for the indigenous Māori population. According to the most recent data:
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The overall adult daily smoking rate was 6.9% in 2023/24.
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Among Māori adults (aged 15+), the daily smoking rate was 14.7% in 2023/24 (estimated ~95,000 people).
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For “current smoking” (smoking monthly or more often) Māori adults were at 17.2% in 2023/24.
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Māori adults thus are about 2.6 times more likely to be current smokers than non-Māori after adjusting for age/gender.
Trends and Progress
The reduction in smoking rates among Māori indicates meaningful progress, yet the pace and level of disparity raise concerns:
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In 2011/12, daily smoking for Māori adults was about 37.3%.
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By 2022/23, it had dropped to 17.1%.
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In 2023/24 it sits at 14.7%.
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However, while overall rates are dropping, the gap between Māori and non-Māori remains. For example, neighbourhood deprivation strongly correlates with higher smoking rates: people in the most deprived quintile had daily smoking prevalence of 13.9%, versus 2.5% in the least deprived.
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Projections suggest that under current “business-as-usual” trends, Māori daily smoking prevalence may still be around 17.4% by 2025.
Several intertwined factors help explain why Māori continue to smoke at higher rates even as numbers decline:
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Historical and social context: Tobacco was introduced after colonisation, and Māori communities have since borne disproportionate harms from smoking and tobacco-related illness.
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Socio-economic and deprivation factors: Smoking is more common in areas of higher socio-economic deprivation. As noted, those in the most deprived areas show far higher prevalence.
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Cultural and systemic inequities: Access to cessation supports, targeted interventions, culturally responsive messaging and services can vary; broader health-equity issues contribute.
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Industry targeting and structural factors: The availability, marketing, and retail density of tobacco products tend to be greater in certain communities, and quit rates may lag.
Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of premature death in Aotearoa. For Māori, the burden is especially high: an estimated one in four Māori deaths can be attributed to smoking, compared to one in eight for non-Māori/non-Pacific populations. The existence of large disparities means that even if the national average (e.g., 6.9%) looks acceptable, Māori as a subgroup continue to face significantly higher health risks. The goal of a “smoke-free” Aotearoa by 2025 (defined as less than 5% daily smoking for all population groups) seems increasingly out of reach for Māori unless specific, accelerated action is taken
