PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Henry Herrera
Phone: +1-301-801-0608
Email: info@menandboys.net
Alarming Inequities and Growing Risks for Men and Boys in New Zealand
July 31, 2025 – From the universities to the family courts, men and boys in New Zealand are falling behind—and few are noticing. The numbers reveal sharp disparities and rising risks across health, education, and safety.
Education:
In New Zealand, 61.5% of all students enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree or higher were women (1). By 2021, only 39% of the 156,865 domestic university students were men—a record low. While male enrollment rose by just 2,800, female enrollment jumped nearly 7,000 (2).
Health:
Women in New Zealand live longer—84.9 years on average—while men reach just 81.9 (3). The gap is wider in mortality: 77.7 of every 1,000 adult men die annually, compared to 49.2 for women (4).
Homicide:
From 2007 to 2020, men made up 65% of all homicide victims, highlighting their overwhelming exposure to fatal violence (5).
Suicide:
Men die by suicide at a rate of 17.9 per 100,000 compared to 6.1 for women (6)(7).
Child Custody:
In New Zealand, most day-to-day care orders issued by the Family Court went to mothers (58%), while just 21% were shared and 9% were given to other parties. Only 12% were awarded to fathers, showcasing how rarely men are granted primary custody (8).
Domestic violence:
The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study found 34% of young men reported being victims of partner violence vs. 27% of women. While 37% of women admitted perpetrating violence, only 22% of men did, revealing a rarely acknowledged pattern (9).
Workplace:
From 2005–2014, 955 workers died in work-related incidents—89% were men, with a fatality rate of 4.8 per 100,000 worker-years (10).
Conclusion:
New Zealand must confront these gaps and bring men and boys into the national policy conversation. Their well-being cannot be sidelined any longer.
The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that is working to celebrate the contributions of men to society and to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys around the world. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen will also benefit women.
https://www.menandboys.net/
Links:
1.https://www.berl.co.nz/economic-insights/how-equal-aotearoa-women
3.https://www.statista.com/statistics/971038/life-expectancy-at-birth-in-new-zealand-by-gender/
4.https://genderdata.worldbank.org/en/indicator/sp-dyn-amrt
6. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.SUIC.MA.P5
7. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.SUIC.FE.P5
8. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VePApufpTmfYL94HgTuY_6QUtT-GLoWh/view?usp=sharing