DEATHS


There were 147,098 deaths registered in Australia in 2012, 166 more than the number registered in 2011 (146,932). Since 2002 the number of deaths registered has increased by around 0.8% per year on average for males and 1.1% per year for females, with year-to-year fluctuations (see graph 1.1). For detailed data, see data cube Table 1: Deaths, Summary, States and territories - 2002 to 2012.

Male and female deaths

There were more male deaths (74,794) registered in 2012 than female deaths (72,304), resulting in a sex ratio of 103.4 male deaths for every 100 female deaths. The distribution of deaths registered in 2012 by age group and sex is illustrated in graph 1.2.
Footnotes(s): (a) Excludes deaths for which age at death was not stated.


Median age

In 2012, the median age at death was 78.6 years for males and 84.6 years for females. This was an increase of 0.2 years for males and 0.1 years for females since 2011. Over the past 10 years, the median age at death has increased by 2.4 years each for males and females at the national level. In 2012, the highest median age at death for males was in South Australia (80.0 years) and the lowest in the Northern Territory (59.0 years). Similarly, for females the highest median age at death was in South Australia (85.5 years) and lowest in the Northern Territory (62.3 years).