A study using Statistics New Zealand data for the period 2009 to 2018 found that Māori and Pacific ethnicity were independent markers of health need, relevant to the distribution of health resources and targeting of health services. Ethnicity significantly increased the odds of amendable mortality after adjustment for socioeconomic position, morbidity, age, sex and rurality, with ratios of 1.46 (95% CI 1.43-1.50) for Māori and 1.18 (95% CI 1.14-1.23) for Pacific peoples compared with Europeans.