• Summary
• Downloads
• Explanatory Notes
• Related Information
• Past Releases

OVERVIEW

Ranking causes of death is a useful method of describing patterns of mortality in a population. It 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 40-42 for further information).

Data for 2008 have been positively impacted by process improvements. See Technical Note 1: 2008 COD Collection - Process Improvements for further information. These data are also subject to a revisions process. See Technical Note 2: Causes of Death - Revisions Process for further information.

In 2008, the leading underlying cause of death for all Australians was Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25), which includes angina, blocked arteries of the heart and heart attacks. Ischaemic heart diseases were identified as the underlying cause of 23,665 deaths, 16% of all deaths registered in 2008. While Ischaemic heart diseases have been the leading cause of death in Australia since 1999, the number of deaths due to this cause has decreased, from 27,609 in 1999 to 23,665 in 2008. Similarly, the proportion of deaths where Ischaemic heart disease was the underlying cause has declined from 22% of all deaths in 1999 to 16% in 2008.

Cerebrovascular disease [Strokes] (I60-I69) remained the second leading underlying cause of death in 2008. Strokes include haemorrhages, strokes, infarctions and blocked arteries of the brain. Compared to 10 years ago, deaths due to this cause decreased by 2.4%, from 12,266 deaths in 1999 to 11,973 deaths in 2008. The proportion of deaths attributed to Strokes has decreased over the last 10 years, from 9.6% of deaths in 1999 to 8.3% of deaths in 2008.

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01-F03, G30) was the third leading cause of death in 2008. The number of deaths due to this cause has increased 138% from 3,427 in 1999 to 8,171 in 2008. This is largely due to an increase in deaths due to Dementia (F01-F03), which increased from 1,911 in 1999 to 5,688 in 2008.

Trachea and lung cancers (C33-C34) were the fourth leading cause of death in 2008. Compared to 10 years ago, deaths due to this cause have increased by 17%, from 6,803 in 1999 to 7,946 in 2008. The proportion of deaths attributed to this cause was also higher in 2008, 5.3% in 1999 and 5.5% in 2008.

The top 10 leading causes of death accounted for 53% of all deaths registered in 2008, and the top 20 leading causes accounted for 67%.

3.1 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH(a), Australia Selected years - 1999, 2003, 2008(b)(c)
	1999		2003		2008
Cause of death and ICD code	no.	Rank	no.	Rank	no.	Rank
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)	27 609	1	25 439	1	23 665	1
Strokes (I60-I69)	12 266	2	12 240	2	11 973	2
Dementia and Alzheimer disease (F01-F03, G30)	3 427	7	4 275	6	8 171	3
Trachea and lung cancer (C33-C34)	6 803	3	6 976	3	7 946	4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)	6 096	4	5 985	4	6 255	5
Diabetes (E10-E14)	2 947	9	3 389	9	4 191	6
Colon and rectum cancer (C18-C21)	4 576	5	4 447	5	4 120	7
Blood and lymph cancer (including leukaemia) (C81-C96)	3 558	6	3 712	7	3 889	8
Heart failure (I50-I51)	3 222	8	2 988	10	3 360	9
Diseases of the kidney and urinary system (N00-N39)	2 698	10	2 922	11	3 224	10
Prostate cancer (C61)	2 499	12	2 842	12	3 031	11
Breast cancer (C50)	2 527	11	2 722	13	2 788	12
Pancreatic cancer (C25)	1 718	16	1 902	15	2 291	13
Suicide (X60-X84)(d)	2 492	13	2 213	14	2 190	14
Skin cancers (C43-C44)	1 371	18	1 527	17	1 857	15
Hypertensive diseases (I10-I15)	1 177	21	1 364	19	1 824	16
Influenza and pneumonia (J10-J18)	1 898	15	3 566	8	1 742	17
Cardiac arrhythmias (I47-I49)	946	24	1 102	24	1 547	18
Cirrhosis and other diseases of liver (K70-K77)	1 243	19	1 390	18	1 490	19
Falls (W00-W19)	520	41	709	36	1 348	20
(a) Causes listed are the leading causes of death for all deaths registered in 2008 based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 40-42 for further information.
(b) Causes of death data for 2008 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Technical Note 2: Causes of Death - Revisions Process.
(c) 2008 data have been subject to process improvements which have increased the quality of these data. See Technical Note 1: 2008 COD Collection - Process Improvements for further information.
(d) 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 of the data, see Explanatory Notes 72-75.