Started in 1992 and conducted continuously since 2011 (although results are reported annually), the New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS) is designed to collect information supporting development of the country's health services, policy, and strategy. The NZHS is composed of a set of core questions – these cover basic sociodemographic characteristics and issues like health status and long-term conditions – that are combined with topic modules that rotate every 6-12 months. Administered face to face to adults (ages 15 and older) and children (ages 0-14, via a proxy), the survey aims for an annual sample size target of 13,000 adults and 4,500 children.

For the 2011-2012 NZHS, the adult and child module topics included health service utilization and patient experience, while the adult module also included problem gambling and discrimination. 12,370 adults and 4,478 children were sampled.