New Zealand Respiratory Disease Hospital Admissions Reach Over 97,000

Respiratory disease led to more than 97,000 hospital stays last year across the country. New numbers from the Cardiac and Respiratory Foundation show admissions climbed from 80,230 in 2022 to 97,151 in 2025.

Admissions And Costs

Children under 14 and adults over 65 accounted for 70 percent of all hospital admissions. The illnesses cost the economy about $11.5 billion each year, which is a three billion dollar rise compared to the prior three years. Foundation chief executive Letitia Harding said the country needs targeted solutions rather than a single national plan to help both health and hospital finances. Pacific peoples went to the hospital at 2.4 times the rate of other groups, while Māori went at nearly twice the rate.

Impact On Schools

Lung cancer caused 3,477 hospital stays in 2025 and 1,912 deaths in 2022. Māori died from lung cancer at 2.75 times the rate of other New Zealanders, and Pacific peoples faced a rate of 1.52 times. Students also faced major setbacks as school returns raised the risk of illness. Asthma caused an estimated 466,000 lost school days each year, up from 360,000 in 2023. Childhood bronchiolitis hospital rates grew by just over half between 2000 and 2025. The foundation wants funding for the RSV vaccine nirsevimab starting in April 2027 for all babies under one and high-risk children under two to stop severe illness and cut hospital visits.

Context

Respiratory illnesses often spread more easily when children return to crowded classrooms after breaks. Public health groups frequently advocate for targeted vaccination programs to protect vulnerable age groups and reduce the strain on public hospitals.