Quality Declaration
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AUSTRALIA'S LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH, 2015 There were 159,052 deaths in Australia in 2015 (81,330 male and 77,722 female). The leading cause of death was Ischaemic heart disease with 19,777 deaths (see table 2.1). People who died from Ischaemic heart diseases in 2015 had a median age at death of 85.1 years. Ischaemic heart disease is a condition that affects the supply of blood to the heart, and includes acute myocardial infarction, angina and chronic ischaemic disease. Ischaemic heart disease has remained Australia's leading cause of death over the past decade, although the standardised death rate has decreased over this period (103.5 per 100,000 in 2006 to 66.1 per 100,000 in 2015). Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, remains the second leading cause of death in 2015, with 12,625 deaths. Dementia has increased from 4.9% of all deaths in 2006 to 7.9% in 2015. Cerebrovascular diseases (6.8%), Cancer of the trachea, bronchus and lung (5.3%) and Chronic lower respiratory diseases (5.0%) complete the top five leading causes of death, and in total these causes accounted for more than one-third (37.6%) of all deaths registered in 2015. The ABS ranks leading causes of death in this publication based on research presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Volume 84, Number 4, April 2006, 297-304. Leading causes of death are tabulated based on the underlying cause of death. The underlying cause of death is defined by the World Health Organisation as the disease or external event which initiated the train of morbid events leading to death. The ABS also tabulates multiple causes of death, which incorporate all conditions on the death certificate. Multiple causes of death provide insights into diseases or injuries which are less likely to be an underlying cause of death, but are still significant health issues. Multiple cause analyses are provided in other chapters and data cubes of this publication.
Globally, there are strong links between country incomes, the quality of healthcare systems, life expectancy and leading causes of death. WHO data shows that in low income countries, leading causes of death include many communicable diseases such as lower respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS and Diarrhoeal diseases. In contrast, leading causes for high income countries were primarily non-communicable diseases which affect mostly elderly people, such as heart disease, stroke and dementia (World Health Organisation). Australia is a high income country with a particularly high average life expectancy. Leading causes of death in Australia align closely with other high income countries, although dementia in Australia is ranked more highly (currently 2nd) than it is on average among other high income countries (currently 4th)(World Health Organisation). The proportion of elderly people in Australia has been increasing, and will continue to do so as life expectancy increases and medical treatments improve. This has implications for future health service planning, especially in relation to conditions such as heart disease, dementia and strokes which are common causes of death among elderly Australians. YEARS OF POTENTIAL LIFE LOST
Seven leading causes are common to both males and females, although only Ischaemic heart diseases share the same ranking in both sexes (1st). Malignant neoplasms of prostate (6th), Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue (7th) and Intentional self-harm (10th) are only represented within the male top 10 causes. Malignant neoplasms of breast (6th), Heart failure (9th) and Diseases of the urinary system (10th) are only represented in the female top 10 causes of death. (b)(c).GIF) Footnote(s): (a) Standardised death rates. Deaths per 100,000 of estimated mid-year population. See Glossary for further information. (b) Causes listed are the 10 leading causes of death for males, based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 34-35 for further information. Groupings of deaths coded to Chapter XVIII: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99) are not included in analysis, due to the unspecific nature of these causes. Furthermore, many deaths coded to this chapter are likely to be affected by revisions, and hence recoded to more specific causes of death as they progress through the revisions process. (c) Causes of death data for 2015 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Explanatory Notes 52-55 and A More Timely Annual Collection: Changes to ABS Processes (Technical Note) in this publication. (b)(c).GIF) Footnote(s): (a) Standardised death rates. Deaths per 100,000 of estimated mid-year population. See Glossary for further information. (b) Causes listed are the 10 leading causes of death for females, based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 34-35 for further information. Groupings of deaths coded to Chapter XVIII: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99) are not included in analysis, due to the unspecific nature of these causes. Furthermore, many deaths coded to this chapter are likely to be affected by revisions, and hence recoded to more specific causes of death as they progress through the revisions process. (c) Causes of death data for 2015 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Explanatory Notes 52-55 and A More Timely Annual Collection: Changes to ABS Processes (Technical Note) in this publication. The graph below depicts the causes with the largest sex ratios, within the Top 20 leading causes of death in Australia in 2015 (excluding sex-specific causes such as prostate and breast cancer). Intentional self-harm was the cause most likely to affect males, with 312 male deaths for every 100 female deaths. Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, was the cause which most predominantly affected females, with 53 male deaths for every 100 female deaths. Greatest sex ratios within the 20 leading causes of death, 2015(a)(b) (a) The top 20 leading causes of death for 2015 are based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 34-35 in this publication for further information. Groupings of deaths coded to Chapter XVIII: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99) are not included in analysis, due to the unspecific nature of these causes. Furthermore, many deaths coded to this chapter are likely to be affected by revisions, and hence recoded to more specific causes of death as they progress through the revisions process. (b) See Explanatory Notes 68-95 for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2015 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 intentional self-harm. See Explanatory Notes 85-93 in this publication.
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(b)(c)(d).GIF)