In 2019 there were 329 deaths from melanoma in Aotearoa New Zealand

We have just published an update to our Melanoma Mortality surveillance report. Here are the key facts:

  • In 2019, there were 329 deaths from melanoma in New Zealand, an increase from 298 deaths in 2018.
  • The age-standardised melanoma mortality rate was 3.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2019. This remains significantly lower than the 2011 peak (5.3 per 100,000).
  • Melanoma mortality increases with age and in 2019 rates were at least twice as high for males aged 65+ years compared to females in the same age group.
  • Age-standardised melanoma mortality rates for 2010–19 were highest in the European/Other ethnic group (5.4 per 100,000), almost 5 times the rate for the next most affected group, Māori (1.1 per 100,000).

The full report can be read here.