3302.0 - Deaths, Australia, 2012  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/11/2013   
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MEDIA RELEASE
7 November 2013
Embargo: 11:30 am (Canberra Time)
190/2013

Australians living longer

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today released the highest life expectancy estimates ever recorded in Australia, reflecting record low death rates.

Director of Demography, Bjorn Jarvis, said "A boy born today could expect to live 79.9 years, while a girl could expect to live 84.3 years. For those approaching retirement age, say 65 years, males could expect to live a further 19 years and females a further 22 years".

"Australia's life expectancy at birth continues to be amongst the highest in the world. The combined male and female figure of 82.0 years, while a little lower than Japan and Hong Kong, is higher than Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA," said Mr Jarvis.

The Australian Capital Territory had the highest life expectancy at birth with 81.2 years for males and 85.1 years for females. The lowest life expectancy was in the Northern Territory, at 74.7 years for males and 80.0 years for females.

While there were 147,098 deaths registered in Australia, the standardised death rate fell to 5.5 deaths per 1,000 people, the lowest rate ever recorded in Australia. In 2002, the death rate was 6.8 deaths. This decrease over the last ten years was greater for males (around 2 deaths per 1,000 males) than for females (around 1 death per 1,000 females).

Further details are in Deaths, Australia, 2012 (cat. no. 3302.0). State, territory and sub-state information is also available for download from the ABS website (www.abs.gov.au).

Media notes:

  • Standardised death rates enable the comparison of death rates between populations with different age structures by relating them to a standard population (currently, the age distribution of all persons in the Australian population at 30 June 2001).
  • Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) as the source.
    DEATHS, SUMMARY STATISTICS - Selected years
    Average annual change
    (%)
    Annual change (%)
    2002(a)
    2011(b)
    2012(c)
    2002-2012
    2011-2012
    Australia(d)
    Deaths
    no.
    133 707
    146 932
    147 098
    0.9
    0.1
    Infant mortality rate(e)
    rate
    5.0
    3.8
    3.3
    Standardised death rate(f)
    rate
    6.8
    5.7
    5.5
    Life expectancy at birth - Males
    years
    77.4
    79.7
    79.9
    Life expectancy at birth - Females
    years
    82.6
    84.2
    84.3
    Median age at death
    years
    79.1
    81.5
    81.7
    New South Wales
    Deaths
    no.
    46 384
    50 661
    49 314
    0.6
    -2.7
    Infant mortality rate(e)
    rate
    4.6
    3.8
    3.2
    Standardised death rate(f)
    rate
    6.7
    5.8
    5.4
    Life expectancy at birth - Males
    years
    77.3
    79.8
    79.9
    Life expectancy at birth - Females
    years
    82.6
    84.2
    84.2
    Median age at death
    years
    79.1
    81.8
    82.0
    Victoria
    Deaths
    no.
    33 772
    36 552
    35 760
    0.5
    -2.2
    Infant mortality rate(e)
    rate
    5.0
    3.5
    2.8
    Standardised death rate(f)
    rate
    6.7
    5.6
    5.2
    Life expectancy at birth - Males
    years
    77.8
    80.3
    80.5
    Life expectancy at birth - Females
    years
    82.8
    84.4
    84.5
    Median age at death
    years
    79.6
    82.2
    82.6
    Queensland
    Deaths
    no.
    23 968
    27 414
    28 300
    1.5
    3.2
    Infant mortality rate(e)
    rate
    5.8
    4.6
    4.4
    Standardised death rate(f)
    rate
    6.9
    5.8
    5.8
    Life expectancy at birth - Males
    years
    77.2
    79.5
    79.5
    Life expectancy at birth - Females
    years
    82.4
    84.1
    84.0
    Median age at death
    years
    78.6
    80.4
    80.4
    South Australia
    Deaths
    no.
    11 987
    12 665
    13 178
    0.9
    4.1
    Infant mortality rate(e)
    rate
    5.1
    2.6
    3.2
    Standardised death rate(f)
    rate
    6.7
    5.7
    5.7
    Life expectancy at birth - Males
    years
    77.3
    79.7
    79.8
    Life expectancy at birth - Females
    years
    82.6
    84.0
    84.2
    Median age at death
    years
    80.0
    82.6
    83.0
    Western Australia
    Deaths
    no.
    11 326
    12 724
    13 339
    1.5
    4.8
    Infant mortality rate(e)
    rate
    4.3
    3.0
    2.5
    Standardised death rate(f)
    rate
    6.5
    5.4
    5.4
    Life expectancy at birth - Males
    years
    77.9
    80.1
    80.1
    Life expectancy at birth - Females
    years
    82.9
    84.6
    84.8
    Median age at death
    years
    78.5
    80.3
    80.5
    Tasmania
    Deaths
    no.
    3 979
    4 245
    4 459
    1.0
    5.0
    Infant mortality rate(e)
    rate
    6.2
    4.5
    3.6
    Standardised death rate(f)
    rate
    7.6
    6.4
    6.6
    Life expectancy at birth - Males
    years
    76.5
    78.3
    78.7
    Life expectancy at birth - Females
    years
    81.3
    82.5
    82.6
    Median age at death
    years
    78.7
    80.9
    81.3
    Northern Territory
    Deaths
    no.
    911
    964
    1 038
    1.2
    7.7
    Infant mortality rate(e)
    rate
    11.3
    7.6
    8.0
    Standardised death rate(f)
    rate
    9.1
    8.0
    7.7
    Life expectancy at birth - Males
    years
    71.3
    74.9
    74.7
    Life expectancy at birth - Females
    years
    76.7
    80.5
    80.0
    Median age at death
    years
    55.8
    61.9
    59.8
    Australian Capital Territory
    Deaths
    no.
    1 373
    1 700
    1 706
    2.0
    0.4
    Infant mortality rate(e)
    rate
    3.4
    2.9
    2.9
    Standardised death rate(f)
    rate
    5.9
    5.1
    4.9
    Life expectancy at birth - Males
    years
    79.2
    81.0
    81.2
    Life expectancy at birth - Females
    years
    83.3
    84.8
    85.1
    Median age at death
    years
    78.9
    81.4
    81.7
    (a) Death rates for 2002 have been calculated using revised and recasted 30 June 2002 estimated resident population based on results from the 2011 Census.
    (b) Death rates for 2011 have been calculated using revised 30 June 2011 estimated resident population based on results from the 2011 Census.
    (c) Death rates for 2012 have been calculated using preliminary 30 June 2012 estimated resident population based on results from the 2011 Census.
    (d) Includes Other Territories.
    (e) Infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
    (f) Deaths per 1,000 standard population. Standardised death rates use the age distribution of total persons in the Australian population at 30 June 2001 as the standard population.