Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of 2026-10-02
Who holds the health record in New Zealand?
In 2026, New Zealand scores 48 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record: rank 55= of 198 countries (likely range 46 to 82), in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: Shared. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of 2026-10-02.
The person has real controls inside a state or provider system. Its strongest right against the other countries is patient control and consent (47, against a median of 30 across 198 countries); no right falls below the median, and the closest to it is connected care journey (40, median 38).
New Zealanders get records free from public agencies, but the national shared record is not live and a 2025 portal hack exposed nearly 100,000 patients.
Published · updated · this country's data as of 2026-10-02 · research tool, not legal advice
48overall, of 100 · Mixed
55=rank of 198
Sharedwho holds the keys
highconfidence
88 · Goldevidence grade (DTI)
Can I get my health records in New Zealand?
Access to the full record scores 55 of 100 in New Zealand, against a median of 43 across 198 countries. The health privacy code gives a right to your records within 20 working days, free from public agencies. The national My Health Record shows only immunisations, COVID-19 results and some identity details; fuller views sit in private GP portals.
Can I control who sees my health record in New Zealand?
Control and consent scores 47 of 100 in New Zealand, against a median of 30 across 198 countries. Today choices are narrow: people can restrict their national immunisation record, and some regional shared records allow opt-out. The national Shared Digital Health Record, with opt-out, item blocking and access summaries, has not started sharing.
Eight rights, against Tonga, Nauru, Vanuatu and the EU
Patient access to the full record20%
55
45 · 28 · 45
Patient control and consent20%
47
42 · 35 · 32
Privacy and security15%
50
45 · 38 · 45
Connected care journey15%
40
58 · 65 · 22
Protection from commercial use10%
52
40 · 40 · 35
Clinician access at the point of care10%
40
60 · 68 · 18
Research and trial consent5%
50
46 · 50 · 46
Clinical AI governance5%
40
20 · 20 · 22
Black dot: New Zealand. Hollow dots: Tonga, Nauru, Vanuatu (scores on the right, same order). Grey line: median of all 198 countries. Dashed teal line: EU median. Overall: New Zealand 48, EU median 61. Scores move in steps of about 5; read the rank with its likely range.
What would New Zealand need to change to score higher?
New Zealand sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. The two rights furthest below the 198-country median, weighted, are research and trial consent (50, median 46) and connected care journey (40, median 38). The published rubric reads:
Research and trial consent: A general opt-out that is honoured, or dynamic or opt-in consent, with a public register of research uses: 55 to 85.
Connected care journey: Primary care, hospitals, labs, pharmacy, claims and public health linked to one record and used at national scale.
Which laws give health record rights in New Zealand?
Privacy Act 2020 (2020): General privacy law; breach notification, compliance notices, fines up to $10,000 for failing to notify.
Health Information Privacy Code 2020 (2020): Health-specific rules on collection, security, access, charges and disclosure for health agencies and insurers.
Health Information Privacy Code 2020 Amendment No 2 (2026): Adds rule 3A: tell people when health data is collected from someone else. In force 1 May 2026.
Strain and split context, not scored
Doctors per 10,000
37.7 2024 · OECD 19 of 38
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
131 2024 · OECD 7 of 38
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
17.5% 2023 · OECD 24 of 35
Record reaches private care?
partial
"radiology reports (hospital imaging and private reports copied to the system)"
Published stories
2025-06-16 · Office of the Privacy Commissioner (New Zealand), Case Note 329225 [2025] NZ Priv Cmr 1 Agency mailed a person's health information to the wrong house
2026-09-23 · Stuff Portal and Health NZ ordered to fix security after 99,416 patients' data exposed
In 2026, New Zealand scored 48 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record, rank 55= of 198 countries (likely range 46 to 82) (Mixed; who holds the keys: Shared). Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of 2026-10-02, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/NZL/
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Questions, corrections or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI: SuperTruth's Data Trust Index, grading the evidence behind each score. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/NZL/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Text and scores CC BY 4.0.
