WELLINGTON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's daily smoking rate has fallen to 6.8 percent, slightly down from 6.9 percent in the previous year, reflecting significant progress over recent years, according to the latest New Zealand Health Survey released Wednesday.
The 2024/25 survey, whose data collection was completed between July 2024 and July 2025, has found 6.8 percent of New Zealand adults were daily smokers, down significantly from 16.4 percent in the 2011/12 survey.
"The number of daily smokers has nearly halved since 2011/12, and New Zealand now has around 278,000 fewer daily smokers," the survey said.
The latest data highlights a significant decline in second-hand smoke exposure, with 1.3 percent of children exposed to second-hand smoke inside the home in 2024/25, down from 3.3 percent in 2015/16.
Youth smoking rates have declined over time, the survey said, adding the daily smoking rate for young people aged 15-24 is now 3.2 percent, down from 19.2 percent when the survey began 13 years ago.
However, the prevalence of daily vaping has increased markedly, reaching 11.7 percent in 2024/25 compared to just 0.9 percent in 2015/16, statistics show.
Work continues toward achieving the Smokefree 2025 goal by ensuring smokers have practical tools and supports to quit smoking, including being able to access less harmful alternatives like vapes, according to the survey.
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said the challenge now is helping older, long-term smokers to quit. ■
