Cigarette smoking
Regional differences
The proportion of young people who smoke at least one cigarette a day varies significantly across the country.(1)
Kawerau District in the Bay of Plenty had the highest rate among both youth age sub-groups.
North Shore City had the lowest youth smoking rate overall and for ages 15 to 19, but the lowest rate among the 20 to 24 population was in Dunedin City, followed by Wellington City, Auckland City and then North Shore City.
Urban areas generally have lower rates of daily smoking among young people than rural areas.
| Proportion of population who are current daily smokers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Territorial Authority | Age 15-19 | Age 20-24 | Age 15-24 |
| Kawerau District | 40.6% | 57.0% | 46.2% |
| Wairoa District | 36.4% | 54.7% | 43.7% |
| Opotiki District | 32.8% | 53.8% | 40.4% |
| Waitomo District | 28.6% | 51.4% | 37.9% |
| Taupo District | 31.4% | 44.4% | 37.2% |
| Gisborne District | 28.9% | 45.4% | 35.5% |
| Buller District | 25.0% | 51.4% | 35.2% |
| Ruapehu District | 31.4% | 40.9% | 35.1% |
| Kaikoura District | 28.1% | 43.8% | 34.8% |
| Invercargill City | 28.9% | 41.4% | 34.8% |
| Clutha District | 24.0% | 48.1% | 34.1% |
| Rotorua District | 27.2% | 43.1% | 33.9% |
| South Taranaki District | 26.9% | 41.7% | 33.4% |
| Far North District | 26.2% | 44.6% | 32.8% |
| Wanganui District | 25.5% | 43.6% | 32.7% |
| Otorohanga District | 24.1% | 43.6% | 32.5% |
| Horowhenua District | 26.3% | 43.0% | 32.4% |
| Whakatane District | 25.4% | 43.9% | 32.4% |
| Rangitikei District | 24.8% | 41.5% | 32.0% |
| South Waikato District | 25.0% | 42.8% | 31.7% |
| Waimate District | 26.0% | 42.4% | 31.5% |
| Central Otago District | 23.3% | 43.3% | 31.3% |
| Central Hawke's Bay District | 24.3% | 41.9% | 31.2% |
| Tararua District | 23.6% | 43.2% | 31.2% |
| Papakura District | 25.5% | 38.1% | 30.9% |
| Napier City | 23.8% | 40.0% | 30.8% |
| Hastings District | 22.7% | 42.3% | 30.4% |
| Masterton District | 25.1% | 38.2% | 30.2% |
| Whangarei District | 24.4% | 38.3% | 30.0% |
| Matamata-Piako District | 23.5% | 39.4% | 30.0% |
| Queenstown-Lakes District | 23.3% | 33.8% | 29.8% |
| Southland District | 22.6% | 39.1% | 29.6% |
| Waitaki District | 21.3% | 44.1% | 29.5% |
| Porirua City | 22.6% | 38.3% | 29.5% |
| Gore District | 22.4% | 39.9% | 29.4% |
| Waikato District | 22.6% | 40.0% | 29.3% |
| Hauraki District | 21.8% | 42.2% | 29.3% |
| Westland District | 20.8% | 39.0% | 29.2% |
| Ashburton District | 21.6% | 39.2% | 29.1% |
| South Wairarapa District | 22.4% | 40.2% | 28.9% |
| Thames-Coromandel District | 20.5% | 41.1% | 28.8% |
| Mackenzie District | 20.5% | 39.0% | 28.8% |
| Timaru District | 21.9% | 39.3% | 28.6% |
| Tauranga City | 21.9% | 36.1% | 28.3% |
| Lower Hutt City | 21.7% | 36.1% | 28.2% |
| Marlborough District | 22.7% | 35.4% | 28.0% |
| Kaipara District | 21.9% | 37.1% | 27.6% |
| Stratford District | 22.3% | 36.6% | 27.6% |
| Manawatu District | 21.7% | 37.6% | 27.6% |
| Grey District | 20.9% | 36.3% | 27.2% |
| Upper Hutt City | 18.7% | 37.0% | 26.4% |
| Nelson City | 19.2% | 35.1% | 25.9% |
| Kapiti Coast District | 19.6% | 36.5% | 25.8% |
| Waipa District | 18.9% | 35.5% | 25.5% |
| Carterton District | 18.2% | 38.8% | 25.4% |
| New Plymouth District | 19.0% | 32.8% | 24.7% |
| Franklin District | 18.7% | 33.8% | 24.6% |
| Western Bay of Plenty District | 17.6% | 37.3% | 24.2% |
| Tasman District | 16.9% | 34.9% | 23.8% |
| Palmerston North City | 20.1% | 26.4% | 23.5% |
| Hamilton City | 19.5% | 26.7% | 23.4% |
| Manukau City | 17.2% | 30.3% | 23.2% |
| Christchurch City | 18.0% | 26.6% | 22.4% |
| Waimakariri District | 17.1% | 32.2% | 22.2% |
| Waitakere City | 16.7% | 28.5% | 22.2% |
| Hurunui District | 15.2% | 30.3% | 20.5% |
| Rodney District | 14.8% | 29.1% | 20.2% |
| Selwyn District | 12.8% | 26.8% | 18.3% |
| Auckland City | 12.3% | 22.1% | 17.9% |
| Wellington City | 12.1% | 20.9% | 17.3% |
| Dunedin City | 13.3% | 20.7% | 17.1% |
| North Shore City | 10.8% | 22.2% | 16.5% |
| Chatham Islands Territory | s | s | s |
| Area Outside Territorial Authority | s | s | s |
| Total | 8.2% | 8.2% | 8.2% |
Source: Statistics New Zealand, Census.
Notes: This data differs to Tobacco Use Survey data because it does not include current smokers who smoke less than one cigarette a day.
Denominator used for calculation excludes “not elsewhere included” responses.
s = data suppressed due to small sample.
Notes
1. Sub-national data on cigarette smoking among young people comes from Census 2006, which defines “current regular smokers” as those who smoke at least one cigarette a day. For this reason, Census 2006 estimates of the number and proportion of current smokers are slightly lower than those given above from the New Zealand Health Survey, which includes current non-daily smokers. The New Zealand Health Survey estimates the proportion of young people aged 15 to 24 who are daily smokers to be 20.4 percent, compared to a Census estimate of 24.0 percent.
