New Zealand saw a significant rise in respiratory disease hospitalizations, with over 97,000 admissions in 2025, up from 80,230 in 2022. The data, released by the Cardiac and Respiratory Foundation, highlights a growing burden on the healthcare system, particularly affecting children under 14 and adults over 65, who accounted for 70% of all cases.
The economic impact of respiratory disease has also surged, costing the New Zealand economy about $11.5 billion annually, a $3 billion increase over the previous three years. Foundation CEO Letitia Harding emphasized the need for targeted interventions rather than a blanket national response to address both health outcomes and financial strain on the healthcare system.
The report revealed stark disparities among ethnic groups, with Pacific peoples hospitalized at 2.4 times the rate of other ethnicities and Māori at nearly twice the rate. Lung cancer alone was responsible for 3,477 hospitalizations in 2025 and 1,912 deaths in 2022, with Māori and Pacific peoples dying at disproportionately higher rates.
School-aged children also faced significant consequences, with an estimated 466,000 school days lost annually due to asthma, up from 360,000 in 2023. Hospitalization rates for childhood bronchiolitis increased by over half between 2000 and 2025. The foundation is advocating for funding of the RSV vaccine nirsevimab from April 2027 for all babies under one and high-risk children under two to reduce hospitalizations and prevent severe illness.