Men are lagging behind women in five of the six health indicators compiled for the government’s 2004 Social Report. The annual Social Report attempts to measure the social wellbeing of a Society with a wider range of indicators than just economic.

There is a nearly five year gap in life expectancy between males and females in New Zealand according to the latest available figures (2000-02).

A New Zealand male cannot expect to reach retirement age (65) without a disability that will require assistance by another person or a complex device: this “independent life expectancy” is 64.8 years for men and 67.5 for women. Overall the rate of disability has risen slightly for men between 1996 and 2001 to 10.2% and fallen for women to 9.3%

Men also lead the suicide statistics, with 77% of all suicides being males. Internationally New Zealand is different than most other countries as here it is younger men (up to 35) who kill themselves, whereas elsewhere men over 65 are most at risk. Within the OECD New Zealand has the worst male youth suicide rate.

The only health indicator where men fared better than women is obesity, although the latest figures in the Social Report were from 1997. 18% of adult non-Maori women were considered obese (28% for Maori), but only 13% of non-Maori males (27% for Maori).

Men were also lagging behind women in some other key indicators, such as satisfaction with work/life balance (women overall happier) and participation in tertiary education. Men are more than twice as likely than women to get injured during work.

Maori were also doing significantly worse than non-Maori in all of the health indicators in the Social Report. A Maori male’s independent life expectancy is a mere 58 years. In most health indicators the gap between males and females is bigger for non-Maori than for Maori.