World Wars lowered New Zealanders life expectancy

September 20, 2006

A population study, released by Statistics New Zealand titled A History of Survival in New Zealand, highlights that the life expectancy of New Zealand males born in the mid 1890's would have been five years higher without the impact of the two world wars, as 10% of males died in war. Also males born in the late 1910's would have had a three year higher life expectancy, without the impact of the two world wars as well. The new study is an international study of survival and mortality.

The study also reveals that a male born in the late 1870's would have had an average life span of 51-years-old and in the 1930's the average life span was 69-years-old. And in females the life expectancy is 75-years-old, previously 55-years-old.

Kim Dunstan, Statistics NZ demographer, said: "The dramatic lifespan changes were attributed to many factors, including improved hygiene, sanitation, medicines and infectious disease control. Changes in lifestyle had also made an important difference."

People born in the late 1870's had a 23% chance of not making it to see their 15th birthday, people born in the 1900's had a 15% chance, people born in the 1930's had a seven percent chance, people born in the 1960's had a three percent chance and those born around the 1990's had a one percent chance.

Mr Dunstan said: "The study provided the most complete picture of how long New Zealanders lived and showed for the first time the impact of war deaths on the population. Death comes to us all and it does affect us at a lot of levels. A lot of people have had family members who died in the war and can relate to their own experiences."

A History of Survival in New Zealand also shows that New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world that has an almost complete and detailed history of births, deaths and migration information dating back to the late 1800's. This study is a historic book full of births, deaths and external migration for the population of New Zealand. It will also be used in the future relating to health, population and mortality areas. It is also unique because it follows the population from birth right through to death. "We see the study very much as the basis for further work ... across other organisations in New Zealand and, indeed, internationally," Mr. Dunstan said.