New report highlights increase in alcohol-attributable deaths

Posted 42 hours ago by Martin Wall Less than a minute to read

We have published a new surveillance report, Mortality wholly attributable to alcohol, which examines deaths in Aotearoa New Zealand, where the underlying cause of death was a condition wholly caused by alcohol consumption.

The findings show that the number of deaths wholly attributable to alcohol more than doubled over the study period, increasing from 138 deaths in 2000 to 291 deaths in 2021.

Key findings:

Deaths wholly attributable to alcohol increased from 138 in 2000 to 291 in 2021.
Male mortality rates increased significantly between 2020 and 2021, driven by deaths caused by alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.
Men aged 65 years and over experienced the highest mortality rates, with rates around five times higher than those for women aged 65 years and over.
The highest age-standardised mortality rates were observed among Māori and European/Other populations.
Mortality rates (age-standardised) were statistically significantly higher for both men and women in more socioeconomically deprived areas.
Men living in rural areas had statistically significantly lower mortality rates than men living in urban areas.

Read the full report: Mortality wholly attributable to Alcohol