New Zealanders remain among the top antibiotics users in the world. 

A global study has found the use of antibiotics jumped 65 per cent between 2000 and 2015.

New Zealand remains among the top 10 countries with the highest number of antibiotic prescriptions and the high use of antibiotics worldwide is blamed for the rise in drug-resistant infections, or superbugs.

Auckland University microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles told Mike Hosking New Zealand is in the top ten for antibiotic prescriptions.

"We're still really, really, really high. The use of these antibiotics in high-income countries like ours, where we're supposed to know better and use them more wisely is not really changing."

Our antibiotic use is expected to keep rising, due in part to chicken farming. 

"That is predicted to rise massively as countries become more developed, have more money and then have more demand for poultry. It's the intensive use of poultry which [will increase] the use of antibiotics."

LISTEN ABOVE AS SIOUXSIE WILES SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING