OVERVIEW
There were 2,405 deaths registered across Australia in 2009 where the deceased person was identified as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, or both.
Identification of the deaths of Indigenous Australians can occur on Death Registration Forms and Medical Certificates of Cause of Death. However, it is recognised that not all Indigenous deaths are captured through these processes, leading to under-identification. The extent to which this occurs is referred to as coverage of Indigenous deaths. For further information, see Explanatory Notes 61-70.
The section below provides a brief summary of Indigenous deaths due to selected broad level causes.