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LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH

Ranking causes of death is a useful method of describing patterns of mortality in a population and 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. The ranking of leading causes of death in this publication are based on research presented in the Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, Volume 84, Number 4, April 2006, 257-336 (see Explanatory Notes 43-45 for further information).

In 2007, the leading underlying cause of death for all Australians was Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25), which include angina, blocked arteries of the heart and heart attacks. Ischaemic heart diseases were identified as the underlying cause of 22,729 deaths, 16% of all deaths registered in 2007. While Ischaemic heart diseases have been the leading cause of death in Australia over the past 10 years, the number of deaths due to this cause has decreased, from 28,299 in 1998 to 22,729 in 2007. Similarly, the proportion of deaths where Ischaemic heart diseases were the underlying cause has declined from 22% of all deaths in 1998 to 16% in 2007.

Strokes (I60-I69) have remained the second leading underlying cause of death in 2007. Strokes include haemorrhages, strokes, infarctions and blocked arteries of the brain. Deaths due to this cause have decreased marginally over the last 10 years, from 12,271 deaths in 1998 to 11,491 deaths in 2007. This represents a decrease of 6.4% over that period. The proportion of deaths attributed to Strokes has also decreased over the last 10 years, from 9.6% of deaths in 1998 to 8.3% of deaths in 2007.

Trachea and lung cancer (C33-C34) remains the third leading cause of death since 1998. Deaths due to this cause have increased in number over this time, from 6,742 in 1998 to 7,626 in 2007. This represents an increase of 13%. The proportion of deaths attributed to this cause has also increased marginally, from 5.3% in 1998 to 5.5% in 2007.

Deaths due to Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01-F03, G30) have moved from seventh leading cause in 1998 to fourth leading cause in 2007. The number of deaths due to this cause has increased 126% from 3,244 in 1998 to 7,320 in 2007. This is largely due to an increase in deaths due to Dementia (F01-F03), which increased from 1,777 in 1998 to 5,048 in 2007. See Explanatory Note 67 for further information.

The top 10 leading causes of death accounted for 53% of all deaths registered in 2007, and the top 20 leading causes accounted for 67%.

2.1 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH(a), Australia - Selected years - 1998-2007
	1998		2002		2007(b)
Cause of death and ICD code	no.	Rank	no.	Rank	no.	Rank
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)	28 299	1	26 063	1	22 729	1
Strokes (I60-I69)	12 271	2	12 533	2	11 491	2
Trachea and lung cancer (C33-C34)	6 742	3	7 303	3	7 626	3
Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01-F03, G30)	3 244	7	4 364	6	7 320	4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)	6 134	4	6 256	4	5 762	5
Colon and rectum cancer (C18-C21)	4 640	5	4 649	5	4 107	6
Diabetes (E10-E14)	2 877	9	3 329	9	3 810	7
Blood and lymph cancer (including leukaemia) (C81-C96)	3 527	6	3 791	7	3 603	8
Heart failure (I50-I51)	3 234	8	3 367	8	3 444	9
Diseases of the kidney and urinary system (N00-N39)	2 618	11	2 887	11	3 230	10
Prostate cancer (C61)	2 556	13	2 852	12	2 938	11
Breast cancer (C50)	2 576	12	2 716	13	2 706	12
Influenza and pneumonia (J10-J18)	2 023	14	3 084	10	2 623	13
Pancreatic cancer (C25)	1 610	16	1 834	15	2 248	14
Suicide (X60-X84)(c)	2 683	10	2 320	14	1 880	15
Skin cancer (C43-C44)	1 317	18	1 462	17	1 727	16
Hypertensive diseases (I10-I15)	1 209	20	1 353	20	1 627	17
Cirrhosis and other diseases of liver (K70-K77)	1 245	19	1 354	19	1 437	18
Cardiac arrhythmias (I47-I49)	878	25	1 226	21	1 397	19
Land transport accidents (V01-V89)(d)	1 884	15	1 826	16	1 273	20
(a) Causes listed are the leading causes of death for all deaths registered in 2007 based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 43-45 for further information.
(b) Cause of death data for 2007 is subject to revision. See Explanatory Notes 3-4 for further information.
(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 due to limitations in the data. For further information, see Explanatory Notes 77-78 and Technical Note: ABS coding of suicide deaths for further information.
(d) Excludes sequelae of transport accidents (Y85) as per the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to transport accidents for 2007. For further information, see Explanatory Notes 73-74.

• Strokes, for which there were 65 male deaths for every 100 female deaths;
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases, for which there were 122 male deaths for every 100 female deaths; and
• Dementia and Alzheimer's disease, for which there were 49 male deaths for every 100 female deaths.

• Ischaemic heart disease - 53%
• Trachea and lung cancer - 62%
• Suicide - 77%
• Blood and lymph cancer (including leukaemia) (C81-C96) - 57%
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases - 55%

• Strokes (I60-I69) - 61%
• Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01-F03, G30)- 67%
• Heart failure (I50-I51) - 60%
• Diseases of the kidney and urinary system (N00-N39) - 55%