This paper reports updated outcomes for the assessment of discrepancies in ethnicity counts in the 2001 census and mortality data for the 2004–2006 period. 2001 census data were anonymously and probabilistically linked to 5 years of subsequent mortality data (135,849 eligible mortality records), in order to compare ethnicity recording for the years 2001–2004 and 2004–2006. When using total ethnicity, little bias occurs in census and mortality ethnic group counts for 2004–06 and resemble comparisons in 2001–04, except at younger ages where counts for Pacific and Asian ethnicities are up to a third less for mortality data. Due to multiple ethnicities being more commonly recorded on census data, sole ethnicity counts are generally greater on mortality than census data, particularly for Māori ethnicity.
