Smoker vs Non-Smoker Life Insurance NZ: The Gap, Charted by Age
A New Zealand smoker pays between 1.66 and 2.39 times what a non-smoker pays for the same $500,000 of stepped life cover, depending on age and gender, on the five-provider grid published by Canstar New Zealand (published 3 September 2024, last updated 19 August 2026). The multiple is not the flat doubling most articles quote. It is smallest in your twenties, peaks in your forties, and eases again by 65.
The dollar gap does the opposite. It is trivial at 25 and enormous at 65, because a stable multiple applied to a steeply rising base produces a rapidly widening difference. Both facts are charted below, from the same published grid.
How much more do smokers pay for life insurance in NZ?
At 35 a female smoker is quoted $48 to $52 a month for $500,000 of stepped cover where a non-smoker of the same age is quoted $26 to $30, and at 45 a male smoker is quoted $134 to $167 against $59 to $67, on the ranges Canstar published across five providers. Here is the whole grid, with the smoker and non-smoker columns side by side.
| Age | Female non-smoker | Female smoker | Male non-smoker | Male smoker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | $22 to $28 | $37 to $46 | $39 to $46 | $65 to $76 |
| 35 | $26 to $30 | $48 to $52 | $33 to $37 | $67 to $78 |
| 45 | $50 to $59 | $102 to $117 | $59 to $67 | $134 to $167 |
| 55 | $132 to $158 | $265 to $321 | $160 to $195 | $371 to $464 |
| 65 | $397 to $489 | $715 to $828 | $600 to $726 | $1,209 to $1,402 |
Monthly figures for $500,000 of stepped cover, reproduced from Canstar New Zealand. Published illustration only, not a quote.
Is it really "double"? The multiple by age
No. On Canstar's midpoints the male multiple runs 1.66 at 25, 2.07 at 35, 2.39 at 45, 2.35 at 55 and 1.97 at 65, and the female multiple runs 1.66, 1.79, 2.01, 2.02 and 1.74. The "smokers pay double" line is roughly right at one point on the curve and wrong at both ends of it.
Chart: smoker midpoint divided by non-smoker midpoint, calculated by QuoteHub from the ranges published by Canstar New Zealand. Published illustration only, not a quote.
| Age | Female multiple | Male multiple | What is happening |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1.66x | 1.66x | Smallest gap, and the smallest base to apply it to |
| 35 | 1.79x | 2.07x | The male line reaches double first |
| 45 | 2.01x | 2.39x | Peak loading for men |
| 55 | 2.02x | 2.35x | Peak for women, men easing slightly |
| 65 | 1.74x | 1.97x | The gap narrows again |
Multiples calculated by QuoteHub from the midpoints of the ranges published by Canstar New Zealand. Rounded to two decimal places.
The narrowing at 65 is the interesting part, and it is not good news. The multiple falls because the non-smoker denominator has caught up, not because the smoker is being charged less. Between 55 and 65 the male non-smoker midpoint rises 274 percent while the male smoker midpoint rises 213 percent, so the ratio closes while both prices explode. A smaller multiple on a far larger number is not a discount.
A second published source puts the same loading at a single age. Quashed publishes average monthly rates for $500,000 of cover at age 30 of $24.79 for a non-smoking woman against $42.09 for a smoker, and $34.96 for a non-smoking man against $67.53 for a smoker, which it states as 69 percent and 93 percent more. That is the same shape as Canstar's grid at the young end: well short of double for a woman, close to double for a man.
What the gap costs in dollars
At 25 the loading costs a New Zealand man about $336 a year. At 65 it costs him about $7,710 a year for exactly the same $500,000 of cover. That is the number that matters, and it is the one the percentage framing hides.
Chart: smoker midpoint minus non-smoker midpoint, annualised, calculated by QuoteHub from the ranges published by Canstar New Zealand. Published illustration only, not a quote.
| Age | Extra per year, male | Extra per year, female |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | $336 | $198 |
| 35 | $450 | $264 |
| 45 | $1,050 | $660 |
| 55 | $2,880 | $1,776 |
| 65 | $7,710 | $3,942 |
Annualised differences between the smoker and non-smoker midpoints published by Canstar New Zealand for $500,000 of stepped cover. Published illustration only, not a quote.
The practical reading is that the loading is cheap to carry at 30 and ruinous to carry at 60, and that it gets worse every single year you hold it, because the multiplier sits on a base that is itself compounding. Waiting until the loading hurts before doing anything about it is the worst available sequence, since the 12-month clock described below has to run before the price moves.
Does the gap grow with the amount of cover?
Yes, slightly, and for a reason worth knowing. Quashed published a grid for a 40-year-old white-collar professional earning $100,000 on 19 December 2024, and on those figures the male smoker multiple rises from 2.16 at $250,000 of cover to 2.50 at $1,000,000.
| Cover amount | Male non-smoker | Male smoker | Multiple | Female non-smoker | Female smoker | Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $27.40 | $59.30 | 2.16x | $24.00 | $46.50 | 1.94x |
| $500,000 | $40.50 | $95.44 | 2.36x | $34.60 | $74.40 | 2.15x |
| $750,000 | $53.50 | $129.50 | 2.42x | $45.40 | $99.40 | 2.19x |
| $1,000,000 | $66.00 | $165.20 | 2.50x | $55.80 | $124.40 | 2.23x |
Monthly figures for a 40-year-old white-collar professional, as published by Quashed. Multiples calculated by QuoteHub. Published illustration only, not a quote.
The mechanism is the policy fee. A fixed administration charge is bundled into every premium, and it is identical for a smoker and a non-smoker. At $250,000 of cover that flat component is a meaningful share of a small premium and it dilutes the loading; at $1,000,000 it is almost invisible and the loading shows at close to full strength. So the smoker loading you see quoted at a small sum insured understates the real one.
One arithmetic caution on that source. On its cost-of-life-insurance page Quashed describes the gap between a 30-year-old non-smoking woman at $24.79 a month and a smoking woman at $42.05 as "a 51.6% difference". It is not: $42.05 is 69.6 percent more than $24.79, and Quashed's own smokers guide states the same comparison as 69 percent. The dollar figure it gives on the same line, an extra $207.18 a year, is correct. Use the dollars.
What smoking costs across a working life of cover
Roughly $70,000 for a man and $41,000 for a woman, on Canstar's grid, if cover is taken out at 35 and held to 65. That is not a projection of your policy. It is what the published grid implies if you follow its own price points from one end to the other.
| Profile, $500,000 stepped cover from 35 to 65 | Total paid to 65 |
|---|---|
| Male non-smoker | $59,500 |
| Male smoker | $130,422 |
| Female non-smoker | $45,446 |
| Female smoker | $86,529 |
QuoteHub calculation. Each year's cost is interpolated at a constant compounding rate between the age points published by Canstar New Zealand, then summed across the thirty years from 35 to 64. Published illustration only, not a quote, and no allowance is made for inflation or for insurer rate reviews.
The male smoker in that table pays $70,922 more than the male non-smoker for identical cover on identical terms. Set against the cost of a quitting programme, that is one of the largest returns available on any decision in personal finance, and it arrives on top of the health outcome rather than instead of it. Quitline provides free stop-smoking and stop-vaping support in New Zealand.
How to stop paying it: the 12-month rule
Quitting does not reduce your premium. Telling your insurer does, and only after you have been nicotine-free long enough to qualify. Canstar states that an insurance company will generally consider you a non-smoker if you have not smoked for 12 months, that this can vary between insurers, and that you should check your product disclosure statement or ask your provider. Quashed puts it the same way: most insurers require you to be nicotine-free for at least 12 months, some have longer requirements, and some ask for a medical assessment or nicotine testing before they will reclassify you.
Three practical points follow, and this is the part most coverage leaves out.
First, reclassification is not automatic. Nobody at the insurer knows you have quit. You have to apply for it, usually in writing, and the price does not move until you do. A policyholder who quit at 44 and never told anyone is still paying the loading in the table above at 55.
Second, the clock is on nicotine, not cigarettes. Vaping, e-cigarettes with or without nicotine at some insurers, chewing tobacco and in some cases patches and gum all keep you inside the definition. Our guide to life insurance for smokers in NZ sets out what each product does to your classification.
Third, the saving is worth the paperwork at every age and enormous at some of them. On the figures above, a 45-year-old man who gets reclassified stops paying about $1,050 a year, and a 55-year-old about $2,880. Ask your insurer what evidence they want, and ask whether a licensed adviser can lodge the request for you.
Honest limits on these figures
None of these numbers is a quote, and the loading in your file may not look like the one on the grid. Published smoker rates are for an applicant who is otherwise standard, and smoking rarely arrives alone in underwriting. Blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and respiratory history are all assessed at the same time, and a smoker with any of them attached can be quoted well outside these ranges or, at the far end, declined.
The other limits are the same as on any published grid. Canstar's ranges span five providers, so they show a market spread rather than one insurer's rate card, and different insurers set the smoker definition and the reclassification period differently. The figures are stepped cover only; a smoker on a level premium locks the loading in for the level period, which makes reclassification harder to benefit from and is worth raising before choosing the structure. And our totals-to-65 table interpolates between age points ten years apart, so treat it as the shape of the cost rather than an exact bill.
There is one thing not to do, and it is worth saying plainly. Do not answer the smoking question incorrectly to get the lower rate. Canstar notes there can be consequences for not disclosing to your insurer that you smoke, even if it is only occasionally, and Quashed notes insurers may conduct medical underwriting including nicotine testing. A policy that pays the wrong price is expensive. A policy that does not pay at all costs your family everything it was bought to protect.
QuoteHub compares life cover across New Zealand insurers with a licensed Financial Advice Provider, including which insurers treat vaping and recent quitting most favourably. You can start a comparison here, read how we are paid, or see the full price curve by age in life insurance price by age in NZ. For the published grids in full, including how the same profiles are priced by other comparison sites, see how much life insurance costs in NZ and average life insurance premiums in NZ.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much more do smokers pay for life insurance in NZ?
Between about 1.66 and 2.39 times the non-smoker price for the same cover, on Canstar's published five-provider grid for $500,000 of stepped cover. In dollars that is about $336 a year extra for a man of 25 and about $7,710 a year extra at 65.
How long do I have to be smoke-free to get non-smoker rates?
Generally 12 months. Canstar states insurers will generally consider you a non-smoker if you have not smoked for 12 months and that this varies between insurers. Quashed states most insurers require at least 12 months nicotine-free and that some require longer or ask for a medical assessment.
Will my premium drop automatically once I have quit?
No. You have to tell the insurer and ask to be reclassified, and some will require evidence or a nicotine test before agreeing. Until you make that request the loading stays on the policy, however long ago you stopped.
Does vaping count as smoking?
At most New Zealand insurers, yes. Quashed states that most insurers classify vapers and users of chewing tobacco as smokers because those products still expose the body to nicotine, and that the classification varies by insurer, so the underwriting policy of the specific company is what matters.
Why does the smoker multiple get smaller at 65?
Because the non-smoker price has caught up, not because the smoker is charged less. Between 55 and 65 both prices rise steeply on Canstar's grid, and the non-smoker rises faster in percentage terms, so the ratio narrows while the dollar gap reaches its widest point of the whole table.
Is the loading bigger on a larger sum insured?
Slightly, yes. On Quashed's published grid for a 40-year-old man the multiple runs 2.16 at $250,000 of cover and 2.50 at $1,000,000, because a fixed policy fee is a bigger share of a small premium and dilutes the loading at low sums insured.
Can I switch insurers to get a better smoker rate?
Sometimes, but switching means fresh underwriting at your current age and current health, so the comparison has to be run properly before anything is cancelled. If you have quit, applying for reclassification with your existing insurer is usually the first thing to try, because it costs nothing and risks nothing.
References
- Canstar New Zealand, How Much Does Life Insurance Cost in NZ? (published 3 September 2024, last updated 19 August 2026)
- Quashed, Guide to Life Insurance as a Smoker (published 9 December 2024)
- Quashed, The Cost of Life Insurance in NZ (published 19 December 2024)
- KiwiCover, Level Premiums (AIA standard premium rates as at 20 March 2025)
- Financial Markets Authority, Insurance guidance for consumers
- Quitline New Zealand, free stop-smoking and stop-vaping support
QuoteHub operates under Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP 712931). This article is general information, not personalised financial advice. Every price shown is a published illustration reproduced from the named third-party source beside it. Multiples and totals are QuoteHub calculations from those published figures, with the method stated. None of these figures are QuoteHub quotes or offers of cover, and any premium you are offered is set by the insurer after individual underwriting.
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