New Zealand Asthma Facts 2025
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world, with an estimated 635,000 people, around 1 in 8 Kiwis, taking medication for asthma. New Zealand also has high rates of hospital admissions for asthma: 7,530+ Kiwi kids are hospitalised due to asthma each year.
Springtime can be beautiful, but also tough for those with asthma and allergies due to changes in weather and increased pollen. Spring pollens include pine, macrocarpa, gorse, grasses, and deciduous trees like oak, birch, elm, and poplar. Our National Asthma Facts awareness campaign on 1-7 September 2025 has a clear message: Spring into action—manage your asthma well and improve your quality of life.
National asthma facts
- New Zealand has a high prevalence of asthma.
- 635,000 (1 in 8) Kiwis take medication for asthma.
- 99,000 Kiwi kids aged 2-14 were diagnosed with asthma last year*.
- New Zealand has high rates of hospital admissions for asthma.
- 7,530+ Kiwi kids hospitalised due to asthma in a year.
*Environmental Health Intelligence New Zealand surveillance report 2025
Posters
Sensitive Choice has developed a New Zealand Asthma Facts infographic poster. This poster is available in A4 and A3, and we encourage people to download and print these to help raise awareness about the prevalence of asthma in New Zealand.
Good asthma management
To manage your asthma well it’s important to:
- Attend regular check-ups with your GP
- Follow a personal asthma action plan.
- Take prescribed medications as directed.
- Ensure proper inhaler technique.
- Identify and reduce exposure to personal asthma or allergy triggers.
Signs of good asthma control
Good asthma control means having all of the following:
- No night-time symptoms.
- No symptoms on waking.
- No reliance on reliever medication.
- No missed school or workdays.
- No limits on daily activities.
- No asthma attacks or flare-ups.
Regularly waking from asthma symptoms or using your reliever medication more than 2–3 times a week (except before exercise) should not be a ‘normal’ part of having asthma.
See your GP if you have concerns about how well your asthma is controlled.
Sensitive Choice resources
Our resources help you to understand and manage asthma and allergies so you can live and breathe better.
Our most popular resources for asthma management during springtime include:
- Asthma at a glance
- Asthma medication tips
- Allergies at a glance
- Understand which allergens trigger your symptoms
- Pollen and hay fever
- Creating a healthy home
- Indoor humidity levels
Visit our resource hub to access all the essential resources.
Sensitive Choice New Zealand is dedicated to helping the 1 in 8 Kiwis live better with asthma and allergies.
Products and services for people with asthma and allergies
Sensitive Choice New Zealand helps 635,000 Kiwis live better with asthma and allergies by identifying products and services that are asthma and allergy aware.
Look for the Sensitive Choice blue butterfly which can be found on bedding, building products, cleaning agents, carpets, air purifiers, vacuum cleaners, and more.
What is the Sensitive Choice blue butterfly?
Get involved
Sensitive Choice is inviting Kiwis to help raise awareness of the high prevalence of asthma in New Zealand by sharing our social media tiles on your personal, business, or organisation’s pages between 1-7 September during our National Asthma Facts 2025 awareness campaign.
Sensitive Choice New Zealand social media accounts: