Smoking was confirmed as a contributing factor to the life expectancy gap between Māori and Pacific people and non-Māori/non-Pacific people in New Zealand in an analysis of death registration and population data between 2013 and 2015. During this time period, an estimated 12,421 deaths (13.4% of all deaths) were attributable to smoking. Cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lung, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and ischaemic heart disease were the leading causes of death attributable to smoking. The proportion of smoking-related deaths was 22.6% in Māori, 13.8% in Pacific people and 12.3% in non-Māori/non-Pacific people. The life expectancy gap attributable to smoking was 2.1 years for Māori men, 2.3 years for Māori women, 1.4 years for Pacific men and 0.3 years for Pacific women.
