LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH BY GENDER
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25) were the leading cause of death for both males and females in 2009, with 12,047 and 10,476 deaths respectively. This reflects a sex ratio of 115 male deaths per 100 female deaths.
The remaining leading causes of death vary between the sexes, in part due to the incidence of gender-specific diseases, such as prostate or ovarian cancer. However, other causes which may not be gender-specific also showed variance between the sexes. Examples of these included:
- Trachea and lung cancers (C33-34), for which there were 157 male deaths for every 100 female deaths
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47), for which there were 116 male deaths for every 100 female deaths
- Strokes (I60-I69), for which there were 67 male deaths for every 100 female deaths
- Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01, F03, G30), for which there were 51 male deaths for every 100 female deaths.
Those causes where a high proportion of deaths were males included:
- Intentional self-harm (Suicide, (X60-X84)) - 76.6%
- Trachea and lung cancers (C33-C34) - 61.1%
- Blood and lymph cancers (including leukaemia) (C81-C96) - 57.1%
- Colon and rectum cancers (C18-C21) - 55.4%
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47) - 53.7%
- Ischaemic heart disease (I20-I25) - 53.5%.
2.2 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH(a), Males - 2009(b)(c) |
|
Underlying Cause of Death | Rank | Males | Total |
|
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25) | 1 | 12 047 | 22 523 |
Trachea and lung cancer (C33-C34) | 2 | 4 761 | 7 786 |
Strokes (I60-I69) | 3 | 4 514 | 11 220 |
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47) | 4 | 3 209 | 5 978 |
Prostate cancer (C61) | 5 | 3 111 | 3 111 |
Dementia and Alzheimer disease (F01, F03, G30) | 6 | 2 786 | 8 277 |
Colon and rectum cancer (C18-C21) | 7 | 2 253 | 4 065 |
Blood and lymph cancer (including leukaemia) (C81-C96) | 8 | 2 175 | 3 810 |
Diabetes (E10-E14) | 9 | 2 120 | 4 170 |
Suicide (X60-X84)(d) | 10 | 1 631 | 2 130 |
|
(a) Causes listed are the leading causes of deaths for all deaths registered in 2009 based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Note 40 for further information. |
(b) Causes of death data for 2009 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Technical Note: Causes of Death Revisions and Explanatory Notes 28-32. |
(c) See Explanatory Notes 73-84 for further information on specific issues relating to 2009 data. |
(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. See Explanatory Notes 80-83. |
Those causes where a high proportion of deaths were females included:
- Dementia and Alzheimer disease (F01, F03, G30) - 66.3%
- Strokes (I60-I69) - 59.8%
- Heart failure (I50-I51) - 58.6%
- Diseases of the kidney and urinary system (N00-N39) - 54.9%.
2.3 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH(a), Females - 2009(b)(c) |
|
Underlying Cause of Death | Rank | Females | Total |
|
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25) | 1 | 10 476 | 22 523 |
Strokes (I60-I69) | 2 | 6 706 | 11 220 |
Dementia and Alzheimer disease (F01, F03, G30) | 3 | 5 491 | 8 277 |
Trachea and lung cancer (C33-C34) | 4 | 3 025 | 7 786 |
Breast cancer (C50) | 5 | 2 772 | 2 799 |
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47) | 6 | 2 769 | 5 978 |
Diabetes (E10-E14) | 7 | 2 050 | 4 170 |
Heart failure (I50-I51) | 8 | 1 884 | 3 214 |
Diseases of the kidney and urinary system (N00-N39) | 9 | 1 818 | 3 312 |
Colon and rectum cancer (C18-C21) | 10 | 1 812 | 4 065 |
|
(a) Causes listed are the leading causes of deaths for all deaths registered in 2009 based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Note 40 for further information. |
(b) See Explanatory Notes 73-84 for further information on specific issues relating to 2009 data. |
(c) Causes of death data for 2009 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Technical Note: Causes of Death Revisions and Explanatory Notes 28-32. |