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Malignant neoplasms (cancers) and ischaemic heart disease were the leading causes of death for Tasmanians in 2003, accounting for 1,080 and 748 deaths respectively.

Malignant neoplasms were responsible for 30.2% of male deaths and 24.1% of female deaths.

Diseases of the circulatory system, which include ischaemic heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases, brought about the deaths of 1,373 persons in 2003, accounting for 34.6% of deaths recorded that year. Some 32.1% of male deaths (652) and 37.3% of female deaths (721) were attributable to these diseases.

Deaths from cerebrovascular diseases (including strokes) were more common for females than males, resulting in 159 female deaths (8.2% of female deaths), compared to 119 male deaths (5.9% of male deaths) in 2003.

Diseases of the respiratory system accounted for 341 deaths in 2003. There were 181 male (8.9% of males) and 160 female (8.3% of females) deaths from diseases of the respiratory system.

There were 69 deaths (1.7% of all deaths) attributed to intentional self-harm (suicide) in Tasmania in 2003. Of these, 54 (78%) were males and 15 (22%) were females. Males aged from 25-44 years accounted for 34.8% of all deaths from intentional self-harm, with 24 deaths.

There were 53 deaths (1.3% of all deaths) from transport accidents in Tasmania in 2003. Of these, 46 (86.8%) were males and 7 (13.2%) were females. Males aged from 25-44 years accounted for 34.0% of all deaths from transport accidents in 2003, with 18 deaths.

There were 158 deaths (4.0% of all deaths) from diabetes mellitus in Tasmania in 2003. Of these, 85 (53.8%) were males and 73 (46.2%) were females. People aged 75 years and over accounted for 70.3% of all deaths from diabetes mellitus, with 111 deaths.

	UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH, Tasmania - 2003
		Males	Females	Total
Cause of death		no.	no.	no.
Mental and behavioural disorders		37	66	103
Diseases of the nervous system		58	100	158
Diseases of the respiratory system		181	160	341
Diseases of the digestive system		73	77	150
Diseases of the genitourinary system		38	48	86
Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases		114	98	212
	- Diabetes mellitus	85	73	158
Neoplasms		634	487	1,121
	- Malignant neoplasms	613	467	1,080
Diseases of the circulatory system		652	721	1,373
	- Ischaemic heart diseases	377	371	748
	- Cerebrovascular diseases	119	159	278
External causes of morbidity and mortality		154	71	225
	- Transport accidents	46	7	53
	- Intentional self-harm	54	15	69
Other causes of death (a)		89	107	196
Total		2,030	1,935	3,965
(a) Includes certain infectious and parasitic diseases; diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism; diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue; symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified; diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue; certain conditions originating in the perinatal period; congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities; pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium. Source: Causes of Death, Australia (cat. no. 3303.0).