31 January 2026
Tēnā koe Hayden
Official Information Act Request: Suicide, mortality, socioeconomic and wellbeing-related
data
Thank you for your request of 16 December 2025 requestions information about suicide,
mortality, socioeconomic and wel being-related data.
I have assessed your request under the Official Information Act 1982. A table outlining decisions
made on your request is appended to this letter.
Stats NZ is the national statistical office and primary producer of official statistics for New
Zealand. Our purpose is to ensure that high quality, impartial, and objective data and statistics
are produced about New Zealand to inform the public and inform decision-making.
We col ect information from individuals and organisations to provide data and insights about
New Zealand and its people. This data supports decision-making across government, Māori and
iwi organisations, businesses, non-government organisations, and the public – enabling more
effective policy development and resource allocation across social, economic and
environmental matters.
Stats NZ has strong capability in time-series and official statistical methodology. However,
assessing
policy impacts on suicide or social harm is outside Stats NZ’s mandate and is not
information we publish.
If helpful, below are some links to publicly available information that may be of interest to you:
•
Suicide Data Web Tool (Suspected & Confirmed suicides) – Chief Coroner & Te Whatu
Ora
: https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-health-professionals/data-and-
statistics/suicide/data-web-tool#link-to-the-suicide-data-web-tool
•
Mortality Data Web Tool (Cause-of-death) – Te Whatu Ora:
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-health-professionals/data-and-
statistics/mortality/data-web-tool
•
Mortality Collection methodology: https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-health-
professionals/data-and-statistics/mortality
•
Stats NZ monthly/weekly deaths (all causes): Published in births & deaths information
releases
o Aotearoa Data Explorer:
https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/?tm=deaths&pg=0&snb=15
o Infoshare under the population files
: https://infoshare.stats.govt.nz/.
IDI research pathway: Current processes for researchers to access IDI data for analyzing social
harm and economic policy correlations
The application process for organisations and researchers with access to the technical and
coding expertise required to conduct research in Stats NZ Data Labs is available on the Stats NZ
website here:
Apply to use microdata for research
Researchers need a high level of technical and coding skil s to be able to get the most value out
of the data. If researchers do not have these skil s within their organisation or community group,
the group project pathway may be an alternative option.
The group project pathway is a newly developed approach that makes data from the IDI more
accessible to groups of organisations with related research interests. It enables a team of
organisations to apply for a shared IDI project and pool resources, contracting a third-party
researcher to conduct work in a Stats NZ Data Lab. More information regarding the group
project pathway is available on the Stats NZ website here
: Guide to integrated data research
through the group project pathway
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
It is Stats NZ’s policy to proactively release its responses to official information requests where
possible. This letter, with your personal details removed, wil be published on the Stats NZ
website. Publishing responses creates greater openness and transparency of government
decision-making and helps better inform public understanding of the reasons for decisions.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Fau Logo
Senior Manager – Executive and Government Relations
Office of the Chief Executive
Stats NZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa
stats.govt.nz
Appendix: Summary of OIA decisions
Request area
Decision under the Official Information Act 1982
Suicide deaths by age, sex, ethnicity;
Refused under s18(d) – any information held is
district-level
published and available on the Stats NZ website.
Monthly/quarterly suicide data
Refused under s18(g) – not collected or published by
Stats NZ.
Deaths (al -cause) monthly/weekly
Refused under s18(d) – publicly available on the Stats
NZ website.
Employment status / benefit status at time
Refused under s18(g) – Stats NZ does not hold this as
of death
a compiled dataset; would require new IDI analysis.
Suicide at TA level
Refused under s18(g) – not held; only district-level
suicide is published and available on the Stats NZ
website.
Methodology for mortality coding / lags /
Refused under s18(d) and 18(g) – publicly available
QA
from Te Whatu Ora website, not held by Stats NZ.
Socioeconomic suicide analyses
Refused under s18(g) – not held; would require
bespoke IDI research.
Correlations between OCR/economic
Refused under s18(g) – Stats NZ does not produce
indicators and social harm/suicide
these analyses.
Wellbeing indicators & inclusion of
Refused under s18(d) – publicly available; suicide is
suicide/family violence
not a Stats NZ wel being indicator.
Data sharing with Treasury / MoUs / request
Refused under s18(g) – no such compiled records
logs
held.
International comparisons / OECD
Refused under s18(d) – publicly available on the Stats
guidelines
NZ website.
Unpublished analyses
Refused under s18(g) – no such list held.
Access to IDI / barriers
Refused under s18(d) – publicly available on the Stats
NZ website.
