The State of Cancer in New Zealand 2025 | He Pūrongo Mate Pukupuku o Aotearoa 2025
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People in New Zealand aspire to have a health care system that delivers world-class cancer care; a system that provides timely access to high-quality services designed around their specific needs and those of their whānau. Te Aho o Te Kahu | Cancer Control Agency undertakes national initiatives to improve cancer outcomes for people in New Zealand and to assemble and disseminate cancer data and information to inform decision-making and service delivery.
As part of our ongoing work to provide oversight of cancer control, we have published The State of Cancer in New Zealand 2025 | He Pūrongo Mate Pukupuku o Aotearoa 2025 (the 2025 report), alongside its companion Insights and Summary Report (the summary report) and an online data dashboard. The 2025 report provides an evidence-based assessment of cancer care in New Zealand since the publication of the last report, He Pūrongo Mate Pukupuku o Aotearoa 2020 | The State of Cancer in New Zealand 2020 in March 2021.
The data and insights contained in the 2025 report and the summary report are intended to galvanise collective efforts to improve cancer outcomes and inform future planning, advocacy and service delivery. Key insights include the following:
The number of people diagnosed with cancer every year is projected to rise from over 30,000 in 2025 to over 45,000 by 2044.
Māori, Pacific peoples and those living in the most socioeconomically deprived areas continue to experience poorer cancer outcomes.
Screening rates are improving, however, there are inequities for Māori and Asian populations across all screening programmes, and for Pacific peoples in some screening programmes.
Five-year net survival across all cancers has improved. However, Māori are 1.6 times more likely to die from cancer than people of European/other ethnicity.
Despite positive initiatives over the last 5 years, the cancer workforce has been facing persistent and growing challenges, including shortages across nearly all professions and unsustainable pressure as cancer incidence rises.
The 2025 report does not make explicit recommendations; instead, its findings have directly informed the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan 2026–2029, which outlines priority actions for system-level improvement and will be published in early 2026.
These resources are now available on our website: teaho.govt.nz. We encourage you to explore the 2025 report, the summary report and the online dashboard, and share them within your networks. Your continued partnership and leadership are vital to advancing equitable, high-quality cancer care across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Ngā mihi nui to all who contributed to this important mahi.
If you have any questions or feedback, you’re welcome to email us at queries@teaho.govt.nz.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Rami Rahal
National Director of Cancer Control and Tumuaki, Chief Executive
Te Aho o Te Kahu Cancer Control Agency