Men, especially in the older age group, and people living in the most deprived areas, were also more also vulnerable to premature death.
Influenza kills about 500 New Zealanders each year and probably the biggest single infectious disease killer, the study from the University of Otago, Wellington said.
Researchers found that in the 65-79 year age group, Māori were 3.6 times more likely to die of influenza than those of European or other ethnicity.
