AIM: To examine regional patterns of asthma hospitalisations in Maori and non-Maori. METHODS: We studied asthma hospitalisations in Maori and non-Maori during 1994-2000. Hospitalisation rates for Maori and non-Maori were calculated for ages 5-34 years in each of the 74 territorial authorities (TAs), of which 15 are urban and 59 predominantly rural. The data were also analysed separately for Maori and non-Maori in the age groups 0-4, 5-14, 15-34 and 35-74 years. RESULTS: For Maori, the highest hospitalisation rates were in Tauranga, Invercargill, Wanganui, South Wairarapa and Gisborne; the lowest rates were in Rodney, Tasman, Franklin, Waitaki and North Shore City. The rate of asthma hospitalisation was higher in Maori than non-Maori in each age-group: 0-4 years relative risk (RR) = 1.43; 5-14 years RR = 1.08; 15-34 years RR = 1.31; 35-74 years RR = 2.97. The differences were higher in rural areas (RR 1.65, 1.17, 1.34 and 3.13 respectively) than in urban areas (RR 1.25, 1.00, 1.22, 2.79 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These analyses confirm previous evidence that asthma hospitalisation rates are higher in Maori than in non-Maori, despite the fact that asthma prevalence is similar in Maori and non-Maori children. They also indicate that this excess of hospitalisations is higher in rural than in urban areas, although the difference is not large.