GLOSSARY
Certifier type
Deaths may be certified by either a medical practitioner or a coroner. Natural causes are predominantly certified by doctors, whereas External and Unknown causes are usually certified by a coroner. However, some deaths for natural causes are referred to coroners for investigation, for example unattended deaths (R98).
Coroner certified deaths
Deaths which are certified by a coroner.
Death
Death is the permanent disappearance of all evidence of life after birth has taken place. The definition excludes all deaths prior to live birth. For the purposes of the Deaths and Causes of Death collections of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), a death refers to any death which occurs in, or en route to Australia and is registered with a state or territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Doctor certified deaths
Deaths which were certified by a doctor or medical practitioner, which were not required to be referred to a coroner.
External causes of death
Deaths due to causes external to the body (for example suicide, transport accidents, falls, poisoning etc).
ICD
International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. The purpose of the ICD is to permit the systematic recording, analysis, interpretation and comparison of mortality and morbidity data collected in different countries or areas and at different times. The ICD, which is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is primarily designed for the classification of diseases and injuries with a formal diagnosis. See Explanatory Notes, paragraphs 18-22, 28-29 for more information on ICD. Further information also is available from the WHO website <<www.who.int>>.
Mortality
The condition of being mortal or subject to death.
Multiple causes of death
All morbid conditions, diseases and injuries entered on the death certificate. These include those involved in the morbid train of events leading to death which were classified as either the underlying cause, the immediate cause, or any intervening causes and those conditions which contributed to death, but were not related to the disease or condition causing death. For deaths where the underlying cause was identified as an external cause (injury or poisoning) multiple causes include circumstances of injury, the nature of injury as well as any other conditions reported on the death certificate.
Natural cause of death
Deaths due to diseases (for example diabetes, cancer, heart disease etc), which are not external or unknown.
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.
Sex Ratio
The sex ratio relates to the number of males per 100 females.
State or territory of registration
State or territory of registration refers to the state or territory in which the death was registered.
State or territory of usual residence
State or territory of usual residence refers to the state or territory of usual residence of the deceased.
Underlying cause of death
The disease or injury which initiated the train of morbid events leading directly to death. Accidental and violent deaths are classified according to the external cause, that is, to the circumstances of the accident or violence which produced the fatal injury rather than to the nature of the injury.
Unknown cause of death
Deaths where it is unable to be determined whether the cause was natural or external.
Usual residence
Usual residence within Australia refers to that address at which the person has lived or intends to live for a total of six months or more in a given reference year.
Quality Declaration 
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