New Zealand's high skin cancer rate won't change any time soon unless Kiwis change their attitude towards skin protection, an expert says.

German medical analyst group derma.plus has ranked New Zealand as having the highest susceptibility to skin cancer in the world, with Australia a close second.

The 2018 skin cancer index published by derma.plus revealed that almost 2500 new melanoma cases are diagnosed in New Zealand every year. European countries and the US filled out the top 10, but well behind New Zealand.

The combination of New Zealand's climate and population make up means Kiwis are more susceptible to melanomas, Cancer Society of New Zealand chief executive Mike Kernaghan told Newshub.

He said New Zealand's ultra-violet radiation gets to very high levels, and a large part of the population with European ancestry have skin types that are susceptible to sunburn and skin damage.

"These factors, combined with a laisse-fare [French term for "leave it alone"] attitude toward skin protection means we will be continue to be a 'high risk' country for skin cancer," Mr Kernaghan said.

"This shouldn't mean we accept this as a given however, as our nearest neighbour Australia has shown increasing rates can be halted or even reduced with a sustained investment in a comprehensive SunSmart programme."