3303.0 - Causes of Death, Australia, 2010 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/03/2012   
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OVERVIEW

Ranking causes of death is a useful method of describing patterns of mortality in a population. It allows comparison over time and between populations. However, different methods of grouping causes of death can result in a vastly different list of leading causes for any given population. For this reason ABS ranks leading causes of death in this publication based on research presented in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Volume 84, Number 4, April 2006, 297-304. For further information see Explanatory Notes 46-48.

In 2010, the leading underlying cause of death for all Australians was Ischaemic heart disease (I20-I25), which includes angina, blocked arteries of the heart and heart attacks. Ischaemic heart diseases were identified as the underlying cause of 21,708 deaths, 15.1% of all deaths registered in 2010. While Ischaemic heart diseases have been the leading cause of death in Australia since 2000, the proportion of deaths due to this cause has decreased, from 20.4% (26,234) in 2001 to 15.1% (21,708) in 2010.

Cerebrovascular disease (I60-I69) have remained the second leading underlying cause of death in 2010. Cerebrovascular disease include haemorrhages, strokes, infarctions and blocked arteries of the brain. Over the last 10 years, deaths due to this cause have decreased by 7.8%, from 12,146 deaths in 2001 to 11,204 deaths in 2010.

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01, F03, G30) was the third leading cause of death in 2010. The number of deaths due to this cause has increased 140.7% from 3,740 in 2001 to 9,003 in 2010. This is largely due to an increase in deaths due to Dementia (F01, F03), which increased from 2,133 in 2001 to 6,297 in 2010. For further information see Explanatory Note 90.

Trachea and lung cancers (C33-C34) were the fourth leading cause of death in 2010. Over the last 10 years, deaths due to this cause have increased by 15.1%, from 7,038 in 2001 to 8,099 in 2010.

The top 10 leading causes of death accounted for 52.2% of all deaths registered in 2010, and the top 20 leading causes accounted for 67.3%.

2.1 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH(a), Australia - Selected years - 2001, 2005, 2010(b)

2001
2005
2010
Cause of death and ICD code
no.
Rank
no.
Rank
no.
Rank

Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)
26 234
1
23 570
1
21 708
1
Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69)
12 146
2
11 513
2
11 204
2
Dementia and Alzheimer disease (F01, F03, G30)
3 740
6
4 653
5
9 003
3
Trachea, bronchus and lung cancer (C33-C34)
7 038
3
7 399
3
8 099
4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)
5 916
4
5 428
4
6 122
5
Colon,sigmoid, rectum and anus cancer (C18-C21)
4 745
5
4 171
6
4 056
6
Diabetes (E10-E14)
3 078
9
3 529
8
3 945
7
Blood and lymph cancer (including leukaemia) (C81-C96)
3 660
7
3 614
7
3 933
8
Heart failure (I50-I51)
3 128
8
2 739
12
3 468
9
Diseases of the urinary system (N00-N39)
2 741
10
2 948
10
3 315
10
Prostate Cancer (C61)
2 711
11
2 946
11
3 235
11
Breast cancer (C50)
2 612
13
2 736
13
2 864
12
Pancreatic cancer (C25)
1 809
16
2 018
15
2 434
13
Influenza and pneumonia (J09-J18)
2 702
12
3 034
9
2 364
14
Intentional self-harm (X60-X84)(c)
2 454
14
2 101
14
2 359
15
Skin cancers (C43-C44)
1 458
17
1 678
16
1 897
16
Hypertensive diseases (I10-I15)
1 223
19
1 445
18
1 734
17
Accidental falls (W00-W19)
634
38
996
28
1 648
18
Cirrhosis and other diseases of liver (K70-K77)
1 196
21
1 427
19
1 592
19
Cardiac arrhythmias (I47-I49)
975
24
1 265
20
1 535
20

(a) Causes listed are the leading causes of death for all deaths registered in 2010, based on WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 46-48 for further information.
(b) See Explanatory Notes 89-104 for further information on specific issues relating to 2010 data.
(c) Excludes Sequelae of suicide (Y87.0) as per the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to suicide. See Explanatory Notes 98-101.








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