3303.0 - Causes of Death, Australia, 2008 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 31/03/2010   
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Contents >> Leading Causes of Death >> Leading causes of death by gender

LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH BY GENDER

Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25) were the leading cause of death for both males and females in 2008, with 12,444 and 11,221 deaths respectively. This reflects a sex ratio of 111 male deaths per 100 female deaths.

The leading causes of death vary between the sexes, in part due to the incidence of gender specific causes, such as Prostate or Ovarian cancer. However, other causes which may not be gender-specific also showed variance between the sexes. Examples of these included:

  • Trachea and lung cancers (C33-34), for which there were 172 male deaths for every 100 female deaths
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47), for which there were 118 male deaths for every 100 female deaths
  • Strokes (I60-I69), for which there were 65 male deaths for every 100 female deaths
  • Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01-F03, G30), for which there were 51 male deaths for every 100 female deaths.

Those causes where a high proportion of deaths were males included:
  • Intentional self harm [Suicide] (X60-X84) - 78%
  • Trachea and lung cancers (C33-C34) - 63%
  • Blood and lymph cancers (including leukaemia) (C81-C96) - 57%
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47) - 54%
  • Colon and rectum cancers (C18-C21) - 54%
  • Ischaemic heart disease (I20-I25) - 53%.

3.2 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH(a), Males - 2008(b)(c)
Underlying Cause of Death
Rank
Males
Total
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)
1
12 444
23 665
Trachea and lung cancer (C33-C34)
2
5 025
7 946
Strokes (I60-I69)
3
4 727
11 973
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)
4
3 387
6 255
Prostate cancer (C61)
5
3 031
3 031
Dementia and Alzheimer disease (F01-F03, G30)
6
2 707
8 171
Colon and rectum cancer (C18-C21)
7
2 230
4 120
Blood and lymph cancer (including leukaemia) (C81-C96)
8
2 220
3 889
Diabetes (E10-E14)
9
2 141
4 191
Suicide (X60-X84)(d)
10
1 709
2 190
(a) Causes listed are the leading causes of death for all deaths registered in 2008 based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 40-42 for further information.
(b) 2008 data have been subject to process improvements which have increased the quality of these data. See Technical Note 1: 2008 COD Collection - Process Improvements for further information.
(c) Causes of death data for 2008 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Technical Note 2: Causes of Death - Revisions Process.
(d) 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 due to limitations of the data, see Explanatory Notes 72-75.


Those causes where a high proportion of deaths were females included:
  • Dementia and Alzheimer disease (F01-F03, G30)- 67%
  • Strokes (I60-I69) - 61%
  • Heart failure (I50-I51) - 61%
  • Diseases of the kidney and urinary system (N00-N39) - 54%.

3.3 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH(a), Females - 2008(b)(c)
Underlying Cause of Death
Rank
Females
Total
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)
1
11 221
23 665
Strokes (I60-I69)
2
7 246
11 973
Dementia and Alzheimer disease (F01-F03, G30)
3
5 464
8 171
Trachea and lung cancer (C33-C34)
4
2 921
7 946
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)
5
2 868
6 255
Breast cancer (C50)
6
2 774
2 788
Diabetes (E10-E14)
7
2 050
4 191
Heart failure (I50-I51)
8
2 034
3 360
Colon and rectum cancer (C18-C21)
9
1 890
4 120
Diseases of the kidney and urinary system (N00-N39)
10
1 756
3 224
(a) Causes listed are the leading causes of death for all deaths registered in 2008 based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 40-42 for further information.
(b) 2008 data have been subject to process improvements which have increased the quality of these data. See Technical Note 1: 2008 COD Collection - Process Improvements for further information.
(c) Causes of death data for 2008 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Technical Note 2: Causes of Death - Revisions Process.





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