Facts and figures
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Most skin cancers are treated by your GP or skin specialist. A much smaller number need treatment at hospital.
Annual Estimates
Each year in Aotearoa New Zealand:
- ~90,000 non-melanoma skin cancers are diagnosed.
- With an estimated health care cost of $454.58 million.
- ~2,800 invasive melanomas are diagnosed.
- With an estimated health care cost of $140.56 million.
- ~4,000 people are found to have in-situ melanoma (melanoma that has not spread to other parts of the body)
- With an estimated health care cost of $314.02 million.
By 2049, the total cost of skin cancer treatment is expected to grow to $689.7 million.
Melanoma Cases
- In 2021, 7,249 new cases of melanoma were reported (4,418 cases of in-situ melanoma and 2,831 cases of invasive melanoma).*
- In 2022, 3,116 registrations of melanoma (excluding in-situ melanoma) were made.**
- In 2022, 3,095 invasive melanoma cases were reported. Of these, 1,668 were male, and 1,427 were female.***
Deaths
- In 2019, a total of 504 skin cancer deaths were reported (329 melanoma deaths, 175 non-melanoma deaths).
- In 2022, a total of 535 skin cancer deaths were reported (317 melanoma deaths, 218 non-melanoma deaths).
More New Zealanders die from melanoma than die on our roads. The good news is that most melanomas can be successfully treated by your doctor.
*Please note, this does not include numbers of deaths, numbers by sex, numbers of Māori cases.
**Please note, this does not provide numbers by sex, or numbers of Māori cases.
***Please note, this does not provide the numbers of in-situ melanoma cases, or numbers of Māori cases.