Bookmark and Share
Print this pageEmail to friend

Pacific Statistics

Pacific Peoples' Smoking Prevalence

In 2008 almost one third (31%) of Pacific people identified themselves as current smokers.  Under one third (29%) identified themselves as daily smokers.  In contrast, one fifth of non-Pacific people identified themselves as current (23%) and daily smokers (21%).  More than half of the Pacific population had tried smoking, and only 38% had never tried smoking.  The percentage of ex-smokers in the Pacific population was relatively low at 15 percent. 


Prevalence of Pacific and non-Pacific Population (age standardised)

 

Pacific

Non-Pacific

% (CI)

% (CI)

Current Smoker

Men

35.0 (25.4 - 44.5)

25.2 (22.9 - 27.4)

Women

28.1 (22.8 - 33.4)

21.8 (19.8 - 23.9)

Total

31.4 (26.3 - 36.5)

23.4 (22.0 - 24.9)

Daily smoker

Men

31.7 (22.4 - 40.9)

21.7 (19.5 - 23.9)

Women

27.4 (21.9 - 33.0)

20.0 (17.9 - 22.0)

Total

29.4 (24.3 - 34.6)

20.8 (19.3 - 22.3)

Non-daily smoker

Men

3.3 (1.2 - 7.2)

3.5 (2.4 - 4.6)

Women

0.7 (0.1 - 2.1)

1.9 (1.3 - 2.4)

Total

1.9 (0.8 - 3.9)

2.6 (2.0 - 3.3)

Never tried smoking

Men

33.1 (24.0 - 42.3)

27.2 (24.7 - 29.6)

Women

41.7 (34.5 - 49.0)

34.7 (32.4 - 37.1)

Total

37.6 (32.1 - 43.2)

31.1 (29.3 - 32.9)

Ex-smoker

Men

19.5 (13.5 - 25.5)

21.0 (18.9 - 23.0)

Women

11.2 (6.8 - 15.6)

18.4 (16.7 - 20.1)

Total

15.1 (11.4 - 18.9)

19.6 (18.3 - 21.0)

Non-smoker (including ex-smokers and never tried)

Men

64.7 (55.1 - 74.3)

73.8 (71.6 - 76.0)

Women

71.3 (66.0 - 76.5)

77.6 (75.6 - 79.7)

Total

68.1 (63.2 - 73.1)

75.8 (74.3 - 77.3)

Source:  2008 NZTUS (age standardised) (Ministry of Health 2008)


Specific Pacific Smoking Rate


Prevalence of Pacific smokers by ethnic group

Prevalence of Pacific smokers by ethnic group
Source:  2006 census (data supplied by Ministry of Health)