This study examined changes in cause-specific mortality rates for males and females between 1980 and 2001, by District Health Boards (DHBs) and evaluated whether geographical inequality in cause-specific mortality increased during this period. While overall mortality rates fell for both males and females between 1980 and 2001, age-standardised rates rose for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. In addition, overall reductions in mortality rates were not uniform across all regions of the country; all-cause mortality rate ratios (RRs) for each DHB ranged from 0.98 to 0.69 for males and from 1.10 to 0.69 for females. RRs for cause-specific mortality varied more widely between DHBs. Relative index of inequality values for all-cause mortality and causes-specific mortality revealed an overall increase in the level of geographical inequalities in health during the study period.
