Introduction
This release contains statistics for deaths and mortality. Detailed information can be obtained from data cubes (in Microsoft Excel format) and ABS.Stat datasets available electronically, from the Data downloads tab.
Populations used
Estimated Resident Populations (ERP) used in this release are based on the results of the 2016 Census and are as follows:
- State, Territory and Australia level ERP for 2020 (preliminary status), released in National, state and territory population, June Quarter, 2020 issued on 17 December 2020
- Sub-state ERP for 2020 (revised status), released in Regional population by age and sex, 2020 issued on 27 August 2021
- Local Government Area ERP for 2012-2020 based on the 2020 edition of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 3 - Non ABS Structures
- Country of Birth ERP for 2020 (preliminary status), released in Migration, Australia, 2019-20 issued on 23 April 2021
- Indigenous ERP for 2012-2019 published in Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2006 to 2031 issued on 22 July 2021.
Scope and coverage
Scope of death statistics
Statistics in this release relate to the number of deaths registered during the calendar year shown, unless otherwise stated. Statistics relating to deaths by year of occurrence can be obtained from ABS.Stat datasets available electronically, from the Data downloads tab.
The ABS Death Registrations collection includes all deaths that occurred and were registered in Australia, including deaths of persons whose place of usual residence was overseas. Deaths of Australian residents that occurred outside Australia may be registered by individual Registrars, but are not included in ABS death statistics. However, deaths of identified Australian diplomats while overseas are included.
The scope of the statistics includes:
- all deaths being registered for the first time
- deaths of temporary visitors to Australia (including visitors from Norfolk Island)
- deaths that occurred within Australian Territorial waters
- deaths that occurred in Australian Antarctic Territories or other external territories
- Deaths occurred on Norfolk Island from 1 July 2016 are included in this publication. This is due to the introduction of the Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment Act 2015. Norfolk Island deaths are included in statistics for 'Other Territories' as well as totals for all of Australia. Deaths occurring on Norfolk Island prior to 1 July 2016 were not in scope for death statistics
- deaths that occurred in transit (i.e. on ships or planes) if registered in the Australian state or territory of 'next port of call'
- deaths of Australian nationals employed overseas at Australian legations and consular offices (i.e. deaths of Australian diplomats while overseas) where able to be identified
- deaths that occurred in earlier years that have not previously been registered (late registrations).
The scope of the statistics excludes:
- still births/fetal deaths (these are included in perinatal death statistics published in Causes of Death, Australia, and previously, Perinatal Deaths, Australia,
- repatriation of human remains of those whose death occurred overseas
- deaths of foreign diplomatic staff in Australia (where able to be identified).
Prior to 2007, the scope for the reference year of the Death Registrations collection included:
- deaths registered in the reference year and received by the ABS in the reference year
- deaths registered in the reference year and received by the ABS in the first quarter of the subsequent year
- deaths registered during the two years prior to the reference year but not received by the ABS until the reference year.
From 2007 onwards, the scope for each reference year of the Death Registrations collection includes:
- deaths registered in the reference year and received by the ABS in the reference year
- deaths registered in the reference year and received by the ABS in the first quarter of the subsequent year
- deaths registered in the years prior to the reference year but not received by the ABS until the reference year or the first quarter of the subsequent year, provided that these records have not been included in any statistics from earlier periods.
Coverage of death statistics
Ideally, for compiling annual time series, the number of deaths should be recorded as all those occurring within a given reference period such as a calendar year. Due to lags in registration of deaths and the provision of that information to the ABS from the state and territory Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM), data are presented on a year of registration basis, unless otherwise stated.
In effect, there are three dates attributable to each death registration:
- the date of occurrence (of the death)
- the date of registration or inclusion on the state/territory register
- the month and year in which the registered event is provided to the ABS.
Data sources
Registration of deaths is the responsibility of the state and territory RBDM. Information about the deceased is acquired from a Death Registration Form (DRF) which is completed by the funeral director, based on information supplied by a relative or other person acquainted with the deceased, or by an official of the institution where the death occurred. As part of the registration process, information on the cause of death is either supplied by the medical practitioner certifying the death on a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD), or supplied as a result of a coronial investigation. This information is provided to the ABS by individual Registrars for coding and compilation into aggregate statistics shown in this release. Core data items are collected in all states and territories and therefore statistics at the national level are available for key characteristics. Some states collect additional information.
Classifications
Marital status
Marital status relates to the registered marital status of the deceased at the time of death and refers to formally registered marriages or divorces for which a certificate is held.
From 2007 onwards, the categories of separated but not divorced and marital status not stated are also included in total deaths.
Geography
This issue of Deaths includes data cubes containing death and mortality statistics on the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) and the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC). For further information refer to:
State and territory data
As a result of an amendment made in 1992 to section 17(a) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901-1973 (Cwlth) the Indian Ocean territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands have been included as part of geographic Australia, hence another category of the state and territory classification has been created. This category is known as 'Other Territories' and includes Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay Territory. From 1 July 2016, 'Other Territories' also include Norfolk Island following the introduction of the Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment Act 2015.
Prior to 1993, deaths of persons usually resident in Christmas Island or Cocos (Keeling) Islands were included with Off-Shore Areas and Migratory in Western Australia, while deaths of persons usually resident in Jervis Bay Territory were included with the Australian Capital Territory. In 2020, there were 2 deaths of persons usually resident in Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands or Jervis Bay Territory, and 14 deaths of persons usually resident in Norfolk Island.
Death statistics for states and territories have been compiled and presented according to the state or territory of usual residence of the deceased, regardless of where in Australia the death occurred and was registered, except where otherwise stated. Deaths which took place outside Australia are excluded from the statistics, with the exception of Australian diplomats, where identified.
In the following table, data is presented on both a state or territory of registration and state or territory of usual residence basis. Deaths which took place outside Australia are excluded from the statistics, with the exception of Australian diplomats, where identified. Deaths of persons who were usual residents of Australia's Other Territories (Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Jervis Bay Territory and Norfolk Island) cannot be registered in Other Territories but are registered in other Australian states and territories.
Registration | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Usual residence | NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Aust. |
NSW | 51,632 | 198 | 316 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 300 | 52,485 |
Vic. | 196 | 40,821 | 34 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 41,093 |
Qld | 129 | 34 | 31,179 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 31,367 |
SA | 20 | 20 | 13 | 13,539 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 13,607 |
WA | 1 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 14,964 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 14,993 |
Tas. | 8 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4,406 | 0 | 3 | 4,435 |
NT | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1,115 | 0 | 1,141 |
ACT | 47 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,104 | 2,162 |
Aust.(a) | 52,053 | 41,101 | 31,560 | 13,606 | 15,000 | 4,417 | 1,145 | 2,418 | 161,300 |
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells).
a. Includes Other Territories.
In 2020, there were 256 deaths registered in Australia of persons who usually lived overseas. These have been included in this release with state or territory of usual residence classified according to the state or territory in which the death was registered.
State or territory of registration | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSW | 121 | 99 | 122 | 152 | 121 | 72 |
Vic. | 63 | 66 | 68 | 67 | 123 | 61 |
Qld | 76 | 65 | 85 | 83 | 90 | 40 |
SA | 11 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 13 |
WA | 70 | 70 | 55 | 57 | 53 | 54 |
Tas. | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
NT | 7 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 6 |
ACT | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
Aust. | 361 | 339 | 365 | 401 | 415 | 256 |
Sub-state/territory mortality rates
Calculation of standardised death rates (SDRs)
SDRs for Australia, state/territory and sub-state/territory by Indigenous status are averaged using data for the three years, ending in the reference year. They are calculated for each calendar year and then averaged.
SDRs for the total population for Australia and state/territory are based on death registration data for the reference year only.
Data treatments
Randomised data
To protect confidentiality, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has adopted a technique to randomly adjust cells with small values. Cells with a value of zero have not been affected by this randomisation. As a result, sums of components may not add exactly to totals. The technique has been applied to all data issued in this release with the exception of median age calculations and any sub-state data. These very minor adjustments allow for a greater amount of data to be released, and as they are small, do not affect the utility of the data.
Confidentiality
The Census and Statistics Act 1905 provides the authority for the ABS to collect statistical information, and requires that statistical output shall not be published or disseminated in a manner that is likely to enable the identification of a particular person or organisation. This requirement means that the ABS must take care and make assurances that any statistical information about individual respondents cannot be derived from published data.
Where necessary, tables in this release have had small values suppressed or randomised to protect confidentiality. As a result, sums of components may not add exactly to totals. These very minor adjustments allow for a greater amount of data to be released, and as they are small, do not affect the utility of the data.
Rounding
Calculations as shown in the commentary sections of this release are based on unrounded figures. Calculations undertaken by data users using rounded figures may differ from those released. Where figures have been rounded in tables, discrepancies may occur between sums of component items and totals.
Error minimisation
Every effort is made to minimise error by working closely with data providers, including supporting the careful design of forms, training of processing staff, and efficient data processing procedures.
Appendix - characteristics available
Related to the death
Date of death (day, month and year)
Date of registration (month and year)
State or territory of registration
Related to the person
Age at death
Country of birth
Date of birth
Duration of residence in Australia, if born overseas
Indigenous status
Indigenous structure - Indigenous Locations (ILOCs), Indigenous Areas (IAREs) and Indigenous Regions (IREGs)
Marital status
Remoteness Area
Sex
State or territory of usual residence
Statistical Area Level (2, 3 and 4) of usual residence