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EXPLANATORY NOTES


INTRODUCTION

1 Registration of deaths is the responsibility of state and territory Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages and is based on information supplied by a relative or other person acquainted with the deceased, or an official of the institution where the death occurred and on information supplied by a medical practitioner as to the cause of death. This information is supplied to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) by individual Registrars for compilation into the aggregate statistics in this publication.

2 In the main, statistics in this publication refer to deaths registered by the state and territory Registrars during the calendar year shown. There is usually an interval between the occurrence and registration of a death and as a result some deaths occurring in one year are not registered until the following year or later.

PROPORTION OF DEATHS REGISTERED THAT OCCURRED IN REFERENCE YEAR - 2000-2005
	STATE OR TERRITORY OF REGISTRATION
Year	NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	ACT	Aust. (a)(b)
2000	96.8	96.0	94.0	95.5	95.4	94.7	89.2	95.8	95.7
2001	96.1	95.3	93.3	95.6	96.6	95.0	89.8	94.3	95.3
2002	96.1	95.7	93.6	94.6	95.7	95.4	90.7	92.9	95.3
2003	96.3	96.1	93.7	95.2	96.4	96.1	88.5	92.6	95.6
2004	96.2	96.8	94.4	95.3	96.0	96.5	90.2	92.4	95.9
2005	96.9	96.5	93.6	95.5	96.4	96.6	90.9	91.5	95.9
(a) Includes year of occurrence not available.
(b) Includes Other Territories.

3 Where necessary, tables have had small values suppressed or randomised to protect confidentiality. As a result, sums of components may not add exactly to totals.

DELAYS IN PROCESSING DEATH REGISTRATIONS IN NEW SOUTH WALES AND QUEENSLAND

4 Information from the New South Wales and Queensland Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages indicates that decreases in deaths registered in 2005 for these states are partly due to delays in processing death registrations for 2005. Combined, these states had 2,600 fewer death registrations than were reported in 2004. As a result, the number of deaths registered for Australia overall for 2005 may be underestimated.

5 It is expected that as the backlog in registrations is processed, the number of deaths registered in subsequent periods will increase. Preliminary deaths figures for March quarter 2006 for New South Wales and Queensland show increases of 11.1% and 14.2% respectively compared to the number of deaths registered in the March quarter 2005.

LATE NOTIFICATION OF DEATHS FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

6 During 2005 it was identified that some death registrations for South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory were not being provided to the ABS in the appropriate year of registration if cause of death information was not available. Registrations for 1 July to 31 December 2004 (41 for South Australia and 26 for the Australian Capital Territory) were subsequently provided to the ABS when cause of death information became available, and have therefore been included in the 2005 death registrations data although they were initially registered in 2004.

STATES AND TERRITORIES

7 Statistics for states and territories have been compiled and presented in respect of the state or territory of usual residence of the deceased, regardless of where in Australia the death occurred and was registered, except where otherwise stated.

8 Table 4.6 of Deaths, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3302.0) shows the number of deaths by state or territory of usual residence cross-classified by state or territory of registration.

9 In 2005 there were 291 deaths registered in Australia of persons usually resident overseas. These deaths have been included in this publication and classified according to the state or territory in which the death was registered.

DEATHS OF PERSONS USUALLY RESIDENT OVERSEAS
	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
State or territory of registration	no.	no.	no.	no.	no.	no.	no.
New South Wales	145	127	114	139	100	98	100
Victoria	64	55	51	50	48	56	33
Queensland	90	110	107	92	109	81	77
South Australia	14	17	12	18	19	16	12
Western Australia	50	41	50	47	44	40	46
Tasmania	7	7	11	-	10	5	7
Northern Territory	16	17	18	13	6	6	12
Australian Capital Territory	4	3	6	-	-	5	4
Australia	390	377	369	363	336	307	291
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

10 Following the 1992 amendments to the Acts Interpretation Act to include the Indian Ocean Territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands as part of the geography of Australia, population estimates commencing with September quarter 1993 include estimates for these two territories. To reflect this change, another category of the state and territory level has been created, known as Other Territories. Other Territories include Jervis Bay Territory, previously included with the Australian Capital Territory, as well as Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, previously excluded from population estimates for Australia. Before 1997, cause of death data do not include deaths of persons usually resident in Other Territories. From 1997, cause of death data for residents of Other Territories are included in the total for Australia.

EXCLUSIONS

11 Figures in this publication do not include fetal deaths (stillbirths). Statistics on fetal deaths are given in Causes of Death, Australia (cat. no. 3303.0).

12 Deaths of Australian residents which took place outside Australia are not included in the statistics.

THE EFFECT OF THE OCTOBER 2002 BALI BOMBING ON AUSTRALIAN DEATH STATISTICS

13 The ABS death statistics collection includes all deaths that occurred and were registered in Australia, including deaths of persons whose usual residence is overseas. Deaths of Australian residents which occurred outside Australia may be registered but are not included in the ABS statistics.

14 As deaths of Australian residents which occurred outside of Australia are not within the scope of this collection, most of the Australian victims of the Bali bombing of 12 October 2002 have been excluded from these statistics. Eight victims of the bombing died after arrival in, or en route to Australia, and these deaths have been included in the 2002 statistics. This number includes two overseas residents.

15 Under the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) these deaths have been coded to X96 (Assault by explosive material).

INDIGENOUS DEATHS

16 Although it is considered likely that most Indigenous deaths are registered, a proportion of these deaths are not registered as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. This publication includes the number of registered Indigenous deaths. However, because of the data quality issues outlined below, more detailed breakdowns of Indigenous deaths are provided only for New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Coverage of Indigenous deaths

17 There are several data collection forms on which people are asked to state whether they are of Indigenous origin. Due to a number of factors, the results are not always consistent. The likelihood that a person will identify, or be identified, as Indigenous on a specific form is known as their propensity to identify as Indigenous. Propensity to identify as Indigenous can be thought of as the proportion of the total, unknown, number of Indigenous people who identify as such on a specific form.

18 Propensity to identify as Indigenous is determined by a range of factors, including how the information is collected; who completes the form; the perception of how the information will be used; education programs about identifying as Indigenous; and cultural issues associated with identifying as Indigenous.

19 There are two estimates of the number of Indigenous deaths each year. Each is based on a different collection, with a different propensity to identify as Indigenous:

• 2001 census-based estimates and projections: Estimates prior to 2001 are derived by backdating estimates of the 2001 Indigenous population. The level of mortality is based on the 1996-2001 experimental life tables published in Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 30 June 1991 to 30 June 2009 (cat. no. 3238.0).
• Death registrations: This publication is based on the registration of deaths by each state and territories' Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

21 Given this volatility, and the experimental nature of the base populations, any estimates of coverage are only indicative. The assessment of the completeness of coverage of Indigenous deaths should be interpreted with caution. Over-precise analysis based on Indigenous death registrations, Indigenous deaths coverage or projected Indigenous deaths should be avoided.

CAUSES OF DEATH

22 Causes of death data in tables 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9 of the 2004 issue of Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3302.0) have been removed from this issue. No causes of death data will be published in future issues. Causes of death information for 2005 will be published in Causes of Death, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3303.0), scheduled for release on 14 March 2007.

LIFE TABLES

23 A life table is a statistical model used to represent mortality of a population. In its simplest form, a life table is generated from age-specific death rates and the resulting values are used to measure mortality, survivorship and life expectancy.

24 The life tables in this publication are current or period life tables, based on death rates for a short period of time during which mortality has remained much the same. Mortality rates for the Australian and state and territory life tables are based on 2003-2005 data.

25 A life table may be complete or abridged, depending on the age interval used in the compilation. Complete life tables such as those for the Australian population contain data by single years of age, while abridged life tables, such as those for the Indigenous population, contain data for five-year age groups.

26 Life tables are presented separately for each sex. The life table depicts the mortality experience of a hypothetical group of newborn babies throughout their entire lifetime. It is based on the assumption that this group is subject to the age-specific mortality rates of the reference period. Typically this hypothetical group is 100,000 in size.

27 To construct a life table, data on population, deaths and births are needed. Mortality rates are smoothed to avoid fluctuations in the data. Apart from mortality rates (qx) all other functions of the life table are derived from qx. The life tables presented in this publication contain four columns of interrelated information. These functions are:

• lx - the number of persons surviving to exact age x;
• qx - the proportion of persons dying between exact age x and exact age x+1. It is the mortality rate, from which other functions of the life table are derived;
• Lx - the number of person years lived within the age interval x to x+1; and
• e⁰x - life expectancy at exact age x.

State and territory life tables

29 Life tables for the states and territories are produced on the same principles as the Australian life tables. For the years 1994-1996 to 1999-2001 these are available in the Demography (cat. nos. 3311.1-8) set of publications. State and territory life tables for 2000-2002 are available on request. For state and territory life tables for 2001-2003 onwards, please refer to the electronic products Life Tables, State/Territory/Australia (cat. nos. 3302.0-8.55.001).

Statistical Division life tables

30 Life expectancy at birth for Statistical Divisions (table 4.5 in Deaths, Australia, 2005, cat. no. 3302.0) have been calculated with reference to state and territory life tables, using Brass' Logit System. Small area life tables are based on age-specific death rates for each area, some of which may be zero as no deaths were recorded at those ages. Brass' Logit technique enables the calculation of smooth abridged life tables for regions which have defective age-specific death rates, by adjusting them with reference to a standard life table. The technique does not alter the overall level of mortality, but the age-specific functions of the life table are smoothed.

31 The Brass' Logit technique essentially compares mortality between the regional and standard life tables across ages, then a line of best fit is calculated to describe that relationship by age. The line of best fit is then used in conjunction with the standard life table to determine death rates for the small area life table. For a more detailed description of Brass' Logit System refer to Brass (1975) Methods for Estimating Fertility and Mortality from Limited and Defective data.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDEXES FOR AREAS (SEIFA), 2001

32 The ABS has developed summary measures, or indexes, derived from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing to measure different aspects of socio-economic conditions by geographic areas. The Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage/Disadvantage is included in table 4.5 in Deaths, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3302.0).

33 The index has been constructed so that relatively advantaged areas have high index values. A higher score on the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage/Disadvantage indicates that an area has attributes such as a relatively high proportion of people with high incomes or a skilled work force. It also means an area has a low proportion of people with low incomes and relatively few unskilled people in the work force. Conversely, a low score indicates that an area has a higher proportion of individuals with low incomes, more employees in unskilled occupations, etc.; and a low proportion of people with high incomes or in skilled occupations.

34 Further information can be found in the Information Paper: Census of Population and Housing: Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas, Australia, 2001 (cat. no. 2039.0).

TIME SERIES

35 Time series data from 1901 to 1995 is available in the 1995 issue of Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3302.0), in Australian Demographic Trends, 1997 (cat. no. 3102.0) and in Australian Historical Population Statistics (ABS web site <https://www.abs.gov.au>).

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

36 ABS publications draw extensively on information provided freely by individuals, businesses, governments and other organisations. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated: without it, the wide range of statistics published by the ABS would not be available. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.

NEW TIME SERIES OF STATE AND TERRITORY DEATHS DATA

37 Time series of deaths and mortality data for the states and territories, Statistical Divisions, Statistical Local Areas and Local Government Areas (on Australian Standard Geographic Classification 2005, cat. no. 1216.0, geographical boundaries) are now available in Microsoft Excel format on the ABS web site <https://www.abs.gov.au>, by selecting Statistics, searching by catalogue number 3302.0 for Deaths, Australia, 2005, and selecting the 'Details' tab.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

38 Other ABS publications which may be of interest to users include:

Australian Demographic Statistics, cat. no. 3101.0 - issued quarterly
Australian Demographic Trends, cat. no. 3102.0 - issued irregularly
Births, Australia, cat. no. 3301.0 - issued annually
Causes of Death, Australia, cat. no. 3303.0 - issued annually
Perinatal Deaths, Australia, cat. no. 3304.0 - issued annually to 1993
Population Projections, Australia, 2004-2101, cat. no. 3222.0 - issued irregularly
Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 1991 to 2009, cat. no. 3238.0 - issued irregularly
The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, cat. no. 4704.0 - issued bi-annually.

40 Current publications and other products released by the ABS are listed in the Catalogue of Publications and Products (cat. no. 1101.0). The Catalogue is available from any ABS office or the ABS web site <https://www.abs.gov.au>. The ABS also issues a daily Release Advice on the web site which details products to be released in the week ahead.

41 As well as the statistics included in this and related publications, additional information is available from the ABS web site at <https://www.abs.gov.au> by accessing Themes, Demography.

ADDITIONAL STATISTICS AVAILABLE

42 The ABS can also make available information which is not published. See Appendix 1 of Deaths, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3302.0) for the characteristics processed by the ABS related to registered deaths. A charge is applied for providing this information.

43 For additional articles on deaths (including causes of death) and mortality published by the ABS, please see Appendix 2 of Deaths, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3302.0).