Story: Health and society

Mortality rates by gender and income, 1981–2009

Move the mouse over the bars on the graph to compare the mortality rates. Click on an income group in the key to remove that group from the graph; click on that group again to restore it.

These graphs show the mortality rates (deaths per 100,000 people) for males and females based on income. Mortality rates were consistently highest for low-income earners and lowest for high-income earners, with middle-income earners in between. While mortality rates fell for all income groups between 1981 and 2009, the gap between the rates for low and high income earners widened in the 1980s and 1990s. However, the gap stabilised in the late 1990s and early 21st century.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Source: G. Disney, J. Atkinson, and T. Blakely. New Zealand Census Mortality and Cancer Trends Study Data Explorer, 2016

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Kerryn Pollock, 'Health and society - Socio-economic status, ethnicity and health inequality', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/graph/30738/mortality-rates-by-gender-and-income-1981-2009 (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 6 Apr 2018