A construction worker in Rotorua falls from scaffolding and breaks three ribs. A forestry crew member in the East Coast loses two fingers to machinery. A warehouse worker in South Auckland strains their back lifting boxes and can't work for six months.

Last year, 32,916 Māori experienced injuries serious enough to require ACC support beyond basic treatment. Each one represents weeks or months of recovery, lost wages, family stress.

But here's what's remarkable: that number is less than half what it was in 2020, when 72,756 serious injuries were recorded (Source: Stats NZ / ACC, fatal-serious-injuries). In four years, the rate has dropped 55%.

The decline isn't gradual. It's a cliff. In 2021, serious injuries to Māori sat at 74,934. Then in 2022, they fell to 34,086. A drop of more than 40,000 injuries in a single year. Since then, the number has stayed low: 33,675 in 2023, and 32,916 last year.

While a single dog attack in Timaru commands media attention, these 32,916 injuries passed almost unnoticed. No press conferences. No ministerial statements. Just thousands of people dealing with the consequences of accidents that changed their lives.

What caused the drop? The data doesn't say. It could be safer workplaces, better training, fewer people in high-risk industries. It could be changes in how ACC categorises injuries, or shifts in who's seeking treatment. The timing aligns with COVID disruptions to work patterns, but the low numbers have persisted well beyond lockdowns.

What we do know: Māori workers are overrepresented in high-risk industries like forestry, construction, and meat processing. A serious injury doesn't just mean time off work. It often means no income, mounting bills, and families under pressure. For many, it's the difference between stability and crisis.

The 32,916 figure for 2024 is the lowest in the 24 years of data available. In 2000, the number was higher. Through the 2000s and 2010s, it climbed. Then in 2022, it fell off a cliff and stayed down.

This should be a story about success. If workplace safety improved, if fewer Māori are getting hurt on the job, that's worth celebrating. But without knowing why the numbers dropped, we can't know if the progress is real or if something changed in how injuries are counted.

Either way, 32,916 serious injuries in a single year is still 32,916 too many. That's 90 people every single day. And unlike a dog attack in Timaru, most of their stories will never make the news.