Causes of Death, Australia

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Statistics on the number of deaths, by sex, selected age groups, and cause of death classified to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

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Reference period
2019
Released
23/10/2020
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Key statistics

  • Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death, accounting for 10.8% of all deaths.
  • Dementia overtook lung cancer as the 2nd leading cause of death for males.
  • Intentional self-harm death rate was 12.9 per 100,000 people.
  • Chronic lower respiratory disease is now the second leading cause of death of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, overtaking Diabetes.

Australia's leading causes of death, 2019

Additional Victorian registrations

Following investigations between the ABS and the Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, 2,812 additional registrations from 2017, 2018 and 2019 were identified that had not previously been provided to the ABS. These Registrations are in scope of the 2019 dataset and are included throughout the report and in totals. However, a time series adjustment has been applied to deaths due to suicide, assault and accidental drug overdoses to enable a more accurate comparison of mortality over time for these causes. As a result, some totals may not equal the sum of their components. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue.

Leading causes of death

There were 169,301 registered and received deaths in Australia in 2019, an increase of 6.8% (10,808) from 2018.

For deaths registered and received in 2019:

  • 52.2% of deaths were male (88,346) and 47.8% of deaths were female (80,955).
  • The median age at death was 81.7 years (78.8 for males, 84.8 for females).
  • The top five leading causes accounted for more than one-third of all registered deaths.

Identifying and comparing leading causes of death in populations is useful for tracking changes in patterns of mortality and identifying emerging trends. For more information related to the tabulation of leading causes, see the Methodology section of this publication.

Key statistics for 2019:

  • The leading cause of death was Ischaemic heart disease.
  • Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease was the second leading cause of death and had the highest median age at death at 89.1 (equal with cardiac arrhythmias).
  • Cerebrovascular diseases, Cancer of the trachea, bronchus and lung and Chronic lower respiratory diseases round out the top five leading causes.
  • Influenza and pneumonia was the 9th leading cause. Influenza deaths are linked to the severity of flu seasons which can drive changes in ranking each year.
  • Intentional self-harm was the 13th leading cause of death, with the lowest median age at death at 43.9.

In the ten years from 2010 to 2019:

  • Deaths from Ischaemic heart diseases and Cerebrovascular diseases decreased by 16.0% and 11.7% respectively.
  • Deaths from Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease increased by 66.8% (6,013 deaths).
  • Deaths from Chronic lower respiratory diseases increased by 36.6% (2,243 deaths).
  • Increases in numbers of deaths were recorded for all other leading causes in the top 20.
Leading causes of death, Australia - selected years - 2010, 2014, 2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)
201020142019Median Age (2019)
Cause of death and ICD codeno.Rankno.Rankno.Rankyears
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)21,721120,199118,244184
Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (F01, F03, G30)9,003311,967215,016289.1
Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69)11,200210,72939,891386.3
Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (C33, C34)8,10248,25248,821474.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)6,12957,81858,372580.7
Malignant neoplasm of colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus (C18-C21, C26.0)(e)5,24765,28965,410677.6
Diabetes (E10-E14)3,94874,35774,967782
Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue (C81-C96)3,93684,27584,793878.5
Influenza and pneumonia (J09-J18)2,373152,879134,124988.8
Diseases of the urinary system (N00-N39)3,315103,136103,9031087.2
Heart failure and complications and ill-defined heart disease (I50-I51)3,47093,44793,6481188.6
Malignant neoplasm of prostate (C61)3,236113,102113,6111282.4
Intentional self-harm (X60-X84, Y87.0)(f)(g)2,480132,922123,3181343.9
Accidental falls (W00-W19)1,691182,399163,2981487.4
Malignant neoplasms of breast (C50)2,866122,844143,2611572.3
Malignant neoplasm of pancreas (C25)2,434142,547153,2071674.6
Cardiac arrhythmias (I47-I49)1,532212,136182,4081789.1
Malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (C22)1,337231,732212,2041871.9
Hypertensive diseases (I10-I15)1,732172,229172,1771988.2
Cirrhosis and other diseases of liver (K70-K76)1,590191,757202,1112065
All causes143,473153,580168,96081.7
  1. Causes listed are the top 20 leading causes of death for 2019, based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies for further information. . Groupings of deaths coded to Chapter XVIII: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99) are not included in analysis, due to the unspecified nature of these causes. Furthermore, many deaths coded to this chapter are likely to be affected by revisions, and hence recoded to more specific causes of death as they progress through the revisions process.
  2. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data. 
  3. All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 and 2014 (final) and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0). 
  4. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information.  
  5. The data presented for Malignant neoplasm of the colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus (C18-C21) includes deaths due to Malignant neoplasm of the intestinal tract, part unspecified (C26.0). Comparisons with data for this leading cause, and associated leading cause rankings, should therefore be made with caution. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies, Leading causes of death in the methodology section of this publication for further details.
  6. The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication. 
  7. Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue.

Age-standardised death rates

Age-standardised death rates (SDRs) enable the comparison of death rates over time as they account for changes in the size and age structure of the population. See the Methodology section of this publication for more information regarding age-standardised death rates. Refer to Mortality tabulations and methodologies, Age-standardised death rates (SDRs) in the Methodology section of this publication for more information.

Over the 10 years from 2010 to 2019:

  • The SDR for Ischaemic heart diseases decreased by 34.6%.
  • The SDR for Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease increased by 27.2%, narrowing the gap between the two leading causes of death.
  • The SDR for Cerebrovascular diseases decreased by 31.5%, while that for Malignant neoplasms of trachea, bronchus and lung (lung cancer) decreased by 15.8%
  1. Causes listed are the top 20 leading causes of death for 2019, based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies for further information. . Groupings of deaths coded to Chapter XVIII: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99) are not included in analysis, due to the unspecified nature of these causes. Furthermore, many deaths coded to this chapter are likely to be affected by revisions, and hence recoded to more specific causes of death as they progress through the revisions process.
  2. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data. 
  3. Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
  4. All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
  5. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information.  

Years of potential life lost

Years of potential life lost (YPLL) is a measure of premature mortality which weights age at death to gain an estimate of how many years a person would have lived had they not died prematurely. Causes of death with a median age less than the life expectancy will have a higher number of YPLL. Refer to Mortality tabulations and methodologies - Years of potential life lost (YPLL) in the Methodology section of this publication for more information.

When considered in terms of premature mortality, the leading causes of death have a notably different profile. For deaths in 2019:

  • Suicide accounted for the highest number of YPLL (115,221), with a particularly low median age at death (43.9) being a key contributing factor.
  • Ischaemic heart disease accounted for the second highest number of YPLL (78,052). Heart disease accounts for the highest number of premature deaths and has a higher median age at death (84.0) than suicide.
  • Many cancers have a lower median age at death than the standard life expectancy. Lung cancer, Colon cancer and Breast cancer are the third, fourth and fifth leading causes of potential life lost and have median ages at death of 74.3, 77.6, and 72.3, respectively. 
  1. Causes listed are the top 20 leading causes of death for 2019, based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies for further information. Groupings of deaths coded to Chapter XVIII: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99) are not included in analysis, due to the unspecified nature of these causes. Furthermore, many deaths coded to this chapter are likely to be affected by revisions, and hence recoded to more specific causes of death as they progress through the revisions process.
  2. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data. 
  3. The ranking of YPLL data presented in this table is based only on the top 20 causes of death. When considering the full listing of leading causes of death, including those not in the leading 20, the YPLL ranking would be different. For further information on Years of Potential Life Lost, see the Mortality tabulations and methodologies, Years of potential life lost (YPLL) section in the Methodology of this publication
  4. Causes of death data for 2019 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Data quality, Revisions process in the Methodology of this publication for more information
  5. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information.  
  6. The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication. 
  7. Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue.
  8. The data presented for Malignant neoplasm of the colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus (C18-C21) includes deaths due to Malignant neoplasm of the intestinal tract, part unspecified (C26.0). Comparisons with data for this leading cause, and associated leading cause rankings, should therefore be made with caution. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies, Leading causes of death in the methodology section of this publication for further details.

Leading causes of death by sex - Males

There were 88,346 male deaths in 2019. Key points relating to leading causes of male deaths include:

  • Ischaemic heart disease was the top ranked cause of death (10,822 deaths) for males, with almost twice the number of deaths compared with the second ranked cause. 
  • Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease has now replaced Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung as the second leading cause of death for males. 
  • Between 2010 and 2019 the death rate for Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease increased by 30.9%.
  • Between 2010 and 2019 the death rate for Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung decreased by 20.4%.
  • Prostate cancer was the 6th ranked cause of death for males, accounting for 3,611 deaths.
  • Suicide was the 10th leading cause, with males accounting for more than three-quarters (75.4%) of all intentional self-harm deaths.
Leading causes of death, males, Australia - selected years - 2010, 2014, 2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)
201020142019Rank (2019)
no.Rate (f)no.Rate (f)no.Rate (f)
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)11,723111.511,10691.510,82276.01
Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (F01, F03, G30)2,92029.14,10634.75,42438.12
Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (C33, C34)4,93545.14,94839.95,19035.93
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)3,23030.94,16834.64,24229.64
Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69)4,33142.04,26035.74,08928.85
Malignant neoplasm of prostate (C61)3,23631.23,10225.93,61125.26
Malignant neoplasm of colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus (C18-C21, C26.0)(g)2,85726.32,85123.12,93220.57
Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue (C81-C96)2,28821.12,41319.72,78319.58
Diabetes (E10-E14)1,99118.82,21918.32,73119.19
Intentional self-harm (X60-X84, Y87.0)(e)(h)1,91417.52,20818.82,50219.810
Diseases of the urinary system (N00-N39)1,49314.61,34411.21,83712.911
Influenza and pneumonia (J09-J18)1,03910.21,30910.91,80012.712
Malignant neoplasm of pancreas (C25)1,23311.21,29210.41,69911.813
Accidental falls (W00-W19)8057.81,1369.51,64711.614
Heart failure and complications and ill-defined heart disease (I50-I51)1,47814.51,47212.31,60011.315
Malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (C22)8888.01,1318.91,46010.016
Melanoma and other malignant neoplasms of skin (C43-C44)1,29711.91,38111.31,4069.917
Cirrhosis and other diseases of liver (K70-K76)1,0819.61,2309.81,3629.818
Parkinson's disease (G20)7587.51,0018.51,3329.419
Land transport accidents (V01-V89, Y85)1,13610.39788.31,0798.420
  1. Causes listed are the top 20 leading causes of death for 2019, based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies for further information. Groupings of deaths coded to Chapter XVIII: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99) are not included in analysis, due to the unspecified nature of these causes. Furthermore, many deaths coded to this chapter are likely to be affected by revisions, and hence recoded to more specific causes of death as they progress through the revisions process.
  2. All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 and 2014 (final) and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0). 
  3. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information.  
  4. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data. 
  5. Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue.
  6. Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
  7. The data presented for Malignant neoplasm of the colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus (C18-C21) includes deaths due to Malignant neoplasm of the intestinal tract, part unspecified (C26.0). Comparisons with data for this leading cause, and associated leading cause rankings, should therefore be made with caution. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies, Leading causes of death in the methodology section of this publication for further details.
  8. The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication. 

Leading causes of death by sex - Females

There were 80,955 female deaths in 2019. Key points relating to leading causes of female deaths include: 

  • The top ranked cause of death among females was Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, accounting for 9,592 deaths. 
  • Dementia deaths among females have increased by 26.6% since 2010. Females accounted for 63.9% of all dementia deaths.
  • Ischaemic heart disease was the second leading cause among females in 2019, accounting for 7,422 deaths. 
  • Breast cancer was the 6th leading cause among females, accounting for 3,230 deaths.
Leading causes of death, females, Australia - selected years - 2010, 2014, 2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)
201020142019Rank (2019)
no.Rate (f)no.Rate (f)no.Rate (f)
Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (F01, F03, G30)6,08336.47,86142.29,59246.11
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)9,99862.89,09350.97,42237.72
Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69)6,86943.26,46936.55,80229.63
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)2,89920.43,65023.24,13023.14
Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (C33, C34)3,16724.43,30422.93,63122.05
Malignant neoplasms of female breast (C50)2,84221.82,81419.63,23020.06
Malignant neoplasm of colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus (C18-C21, C26.0)(g)2,39017.42,43816.02,47814.27
Influenza and pneumonia (J09-J18)1,3348.21,5708.52,32411.48
Diabetes (E10-E14)1,95713.32,13813.12,23612.19
Diseases of the urinary system (N00-N39)1,82211.51,79210.22,06610.410
Heart failure and complications and ill-defined heart disease (I50-I51)1,99212.11,97510.72,04810.011
Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue (C81-C96)1,64812.11,86212.42,01011.612
Accidental falls (W00-W19)8865.51,2637.01,6518.213
Malignant neoplasm of pancreas (C25)1,2019.01,2558.41,5088.914
Cardiac arrhythmias (I47-I49)9836.01,3167.21,4587.015
Hypertensive diseases (I10-I15)1,1717.01,4287.71,3336.516
Malignant neoplasm of ovary (C56)9127.19756.81,0816.617
Nonrheumatic valve disorders (I34-I38)7064.58454.79204.618
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99)8005.38164.88944.719
Malignant neoplasm of uterus (C53-C55)5964.67175.18785.520
  1. Causes listed are the top 20 leading causes of death for 2019, based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies for further information. Groupings of deaths coded to Chapter XVIII: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99) are not included in analysis, due to the unspecified nature of these causes. Furthermore, many deaths coded to this chapter are likely to be affected by revisions, and hence recoded to more specific causes of death as they progress through the revisions process.
  2. All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 and 2014 (final) and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0). 
  3. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information.  
  4. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data. 
  5. Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue.
  6. Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
  7. The data presented for Malignant neoplasm of the colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus (C18-C21) includes deaths due to Malignant neoplasm of the intestinal tract, part unspecified (C26.0). Comparisons with data for this leading cause, and associated leading cause rankings, should therefore be made with caution. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies, Leading causes of death in the methodology section of this publication for further details.

Leading causes of death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Key statistics

  • There were 3,435 registered and received deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2019 (1,885 males and 1,550 females).
  • The median age at death was 60.9 years, increasing from 57.1 years of age in 2010.
  • Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death (405 deaths).
  • Chronic lower respiratory disease was the second leading cause of death, overtaking diabetes for the first time.

Data reported in this article are compiled by jurisdiction of usual residence for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have been excluded in line with national reporting guidelines. For further information see Deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Methodology section of this publication.

Age-standardised death rates over time

In 2019 the age-standardised death rate (SDR) was 936.7 deaths per 100,000.  Over the 10 years from 2010-2019:

  • The SDR was consistently higher for males than females.
  • The SDR remained relatively stable.
  1. All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
  2. See the Data quality section of the Methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data.
  3. Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
  4. Data reported in this article are compiled by jurisdiction of usual residence for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have been excluded in line with national reporting guidelines. For further information see Deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Methodology section of this publication.
  5. Rates presented in this table have been calculated using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates and projections based on the 2016 Census. As a result, these rates may differ from those previously published. See the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section of the Methodology for further information.
  6. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the Methodology for further information.

​​​​​​​Top five leading causes of death

In order to better enable comparison of death rates over time, five year aggregate death rates for the periods 2010-2014 and 2015-2019 are included for the leading causes of death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The top five leading causes of death accounted for over one third (38.1%) of all deaths. Key points for the leading causes include:

  • Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death, and the SDR has decreased by 8.1% between 2010-2014 and 2015-2019.
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases are now the second leading cause of death, with the death rate increasing by 18.5% between 2010-2014 and 2015-2019.
  • Diabetes is now the third leading cause of death, and the SDR has decreased by 9.5% between 2010-2014 and 2015-2019.

Four of the five leading causes of death are the same for males and females, although the rank of some causes differ. Differences in the leading causes of death for males include:

  • The second leading cause of death was Intentional self-harm.
  • Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (lung cancer) has increased by 16.4% between 2010-14 and 2015-19, and is the fourth leading cause of death.
Top 5 leading causes of death, age-standardised death rates, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, 2010-2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)
Cause of death and ICD code2010201420192010-20142015-2019
 No.Rate(b)(c)No.Rate(b)(c)No.Rate(b)(c)Rate(b)(c)Rate(b)(c)
Persons        
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)312129.6357121.3405113.1126.9116.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)10657.017778.926683.264.476.3
Diabetes (E10-E14)18176.221683.023970.182.274.4
Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (C33, C34)11050.015351.620561.353.858.2
Intentional self-harm (X60-X84, Y87.0)(e)10719.914822.419527.121.324.6
All Causes2,311926.52,730906.33,435936.7917.6922.8
Males        
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)213187.8234166.1257144.5171.3150.1
Intentional self-harm (X60-X84,Y87.0)(e)8133.410432.813739.431.637.6
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)5261.58796.212690.577.083.0
Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (C33-C34)6464.67658.111173.262.172.3
Diabetes mellitus (E10-E14)8977.69580.410362.281.572.3
All Causes1,2961,056.91,4731,000.41,8851,047.61,042.11,038.2
Females        
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)9982.712384.914885.290.587.7
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)5453.69067.714078.155.771.4
Diabetes mellitus (E10-E14)9273.812185.113676.382.675.7
Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (C33, C34)4638.37746.59451.747.546.9
Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69)6869.16656.16642.059.942.5
All Causes1,015810.61,257821.91,550836.0811.9820.2

(a) Causes listed are the top 5 leading causes of death for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths registered in 2019, based on WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies for further information.
(b) Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
(c) Rates presented in this table have been calculated using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates and projections based on the 2016 Census. As a result, these rates may differ from those previously published. See the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section of the methodology for further information.
(d) See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data.
(e) The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.
(f) All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
(g) Data reported in this article are compiled by jurisdiction of usual residence for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have been excluded in line with national reporting guidelines. For further information see Deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Methodology section of this publication.
(h) Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 

Closing the Gap

Measures of mortality relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are key inputs into the Closing the Gap strategy. This government initiative sees work undertaken with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to reduce disadvantage across areas such as life expectancy, mortality, education and employment.  In July 2020 all Australian governments committed to new targets under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (Australian Government, 2020). Mortality data will continue to inform progress against these new targets.

Death rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are generally higher than those for non-Indigenous people. Among the top 20 leading causes of death:

  • The highest rate ratios were recorded for Diabetes, Chronic lower respiratory diseases, Accidental poisonings and Cirrhosis and other diseases of the liver.
  • Only Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue had a higher death rate among non-Indigenous people.
Top 20 leading causes of death, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-indigenous people, 2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)(i)(j)(k)
Cause of Death and ICD CodeAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander no. deathsAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rate (b)(f)Non-Indigenous no. deathsNon-Indigenous Rate (b)(f)Rate Ratio (g)Rate Difference (h)
All Causes3,435936.7114,322544.01.7392.7
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)405113.112,18457.32.055.8
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)26683.25,63326.13.257.1
Diabetes (E10-E14)23970.13,21415.14.655.0
Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (C33, C34)20561.36,05328.02.233.3
Intentional self-harm (X60-X84, Y87.0)(c)19527.12,20212.72.114.4
Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69)13444.66,92232.51.412.0
Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01, F03, G30)10351.910,48149.01.12.9
Cirrhosis and other diseases of liver (K70-K76)10120.31,3736.83.013.5
Accidental poisoning (X40-X49)9115.48194.93.210.5
Land transport accidents (V01-V89, Y85)(d)8713.28905.02.68.2
Diseases of the urinary system (N00-N39)8326.72,46011.52.315.2
Malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (C22)6516.31,4846.92.49.4
Malignant neoplasm of colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus (C18-C21, C26.0)(e)6219.93,74117.71.12.2
Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)604.73582.32.02.4
Malignant neoplasm of pancreas (C25)5616.12,17810.11.66.0
Influenza and pneumonia (J09-J18)5414.42,76313.01.11.4
Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue (C81-C96)4613.93,33815.60.9-1.8
Malignant neoplasms of female breast (C50)4512.82,22710.81.22.0
Heart failure and complications and ill-defined heart disease (I50-I51)3414.42,20810.41.44.0
Malignant neoplasm of prostate (C61)3312.12,44711.31.10.8
  1. Causes listed are the top 20 leading causes of death for 2019, based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies for further information. Groupings of deaths coded to Chapter XVIII: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99) are not included in analysis, due to the unspecified nature of these causes. Furthermore, many deaths coded to this chapter are likely to be affected by revisions, and hence recoded to more specific causes of death as they progress through the revisions process.
  2. Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
  3. The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.
  4. The data presented for Land transport accidents includes ICD-10 codes V01-V89 and Y85. See Mortality tabulations and methodologies for further information.
  5. The data presented for Malignant neoplasm of the colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus (C18-C21) includes deaths due to Malignant neoplasm of the intestinal tract, part unspecified (C26.0). Comparisons with data for this leading cause, and associated leading cause rankings, should therefore be made with caution. For more information see Mortality tabulations and methodologies
  6.  Rates presented in this table have been calculated using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates and projections based on the 2016 Census. As a result, these rates may differ from those previously published. See the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section of the methodology for further information.
  7. The rate ratio is the rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons divided by the non-Indigenous rate.
  8. The rate difference is the rate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons less the non-Indigenous rate.
  9. Data reported in this article are compiled by jurisdiction of usual residence for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have been excluded in line with national reporting guidelines. For further information see Deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Methodology section of this publication.
  10. All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process. See the Data quality section of the methodology for more information
  11. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 

Smoking related lung disease

Life expectancy is an overarching target in the Closing the Gap strategy. Smoking has been identified as a factor that contributes to the gap in life expectancy alongside other social and behavioural risk factors (AHMAC, as cited in Commonwealth of Australia, 2020, p. 78). In 2018-19 just over 41% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 15 years and over were current smokers, with the smoking rate as high as 56.4% in remote areas (ABS, 2019). 

Smoking causes a range of health conditions, including lung diseases. Chronic lower respiratory diseases and Malignant neoplasms of the trachea, bronchus and lung continue to be two of the leading causes of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Both of these lung diseases:

  • Feature in the top five leading causes for both males and females in 2019.
  • Recorded increased death rates between 2010-2014 and 2015-2019.

Whilst smoking rates have decreased over time, the development of smoking related illnesses can have delayed onset from smoking initiation. It is expected that some smoking related diseases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will peak over the next decade (Lovett et al, 2017).

References

Intentional self-harm (suicides), key characteristics

Key statistics

  • The time series for Victorian and national suicides has been adjusted and will not match previously published data. Refer to the call out box for more information.
  • There were 3,318 registered suicides.
  • Suicide occurred at a rate of 12.9 suicides per 100,000 people.
  • Suicide was the 13th leading cause of death.

Additional Victorian death registrations

Following investigations between the ABS and the Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, 2,812 additional registrations from 2017, 2018 and 2019 were identified that had not previously been provided to the ABS. These Registrations are in scope of the 2019 dataset and are included throughout the report and in totals. However, a time series adjustment has been applied to deaths due to suicide, assault and accidental drug overdoses to enable a more accurate comparison of mortality over time for these causes. As a result, some totals may not equal the sum of their components. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue.

Intentional self-harm deaths by sex 

In order to measure changes in suicide over time, age-standardised death rates for males, females and the total population are presented in the graph below. The graph includes upper and lower bound data points to provide an insight into the variability associated with the recorded suicide rates and help to show whether differences in recorded rates are statistically significant. 

  • Male suicides make up three-quarters of all suicides.
  • There were 2,502 male suicides (19.8 males per 100,000) and 816 female suicide deaths (6.3 females per 100,000).
  • The rate of suicide for males has increase over the past 10 years from 17.5 in 2010 to 19.8 in 2019.
  • Over the same period the rate of suicide for females increased from 5.0 to 6.3.
  • Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for males and the 22nd leading cause for females. 
  • The median age of death due to suicide was 43.9 years of age for males and 44.0 years of age for females. 
  1. Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
  2. The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.  
  3. All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
  4. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data
  5. Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue. 
  6. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information.

Intentional self-harm deaths by states and territories

Administrative factors

When considering changes in counts or rates of suicide deaths for particular jurisdictions it is important to understand the range of administrative factors which can influence the flow of data. Lags between when deaths occur and when they are registered can influence the count of deaths, while the flow of information between Coroners courts, Registries, the National Coronial Information System and the ABS can influence what information is available to specify a particular cause of death. For more information see the sub-sections Scope and coverage and Mortality coding, Coding of coroner certified deaths in the Methodology section of this publication.

  • Increases in numbers of suicide deaths were recorded between 2018 and 2019 for all states except Queensland.
  • New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland account for almost three-quarters of registered suicides.
  • The Northern Territory recorded the highest suicide death rate of 21.0 followed by Tasmania at 19.5. 
  • The 2019 suicide death rate in Tasmania was the highest recorded over the last 10 years.
Number of suicide deaths, by state or territory of usual residence, 2010-2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.
NSW674617727718832839822929899937
Vic(d)558526514533658678637710685717
Qld588578631676658761688812786784
SA197212198203243234221226212251
WA313309367336367402373418383418
Tas.647471746984938078108
NT45444833564846514750
ACT41332437384628584753
Australia2,4802,3932,5802,6102,9223,0932,9093,2853,1383,318
  1. All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
  2. The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.  
  3. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data
  4. Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue. 
  5. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 
Age-standardised death rates for suicide, by state or territory of usual residence, 2010-2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
Rate(a)Rate(a)Rate(a)Rate(a)Rate(a)Rate(a)Rate(a)Rate(a)Rate(a)Rate(a)
NSW9.38.49.89.510.810.910.511.611.111.4
Vic(e)10.19.29.08.910.911.110.111.010.410.7
Qld13.412.913.914.614.016.014.216.515.815.4
SA11.812.911.711.914.413.313.012.912.013.9
WA13.612.915.013.514.515.614.516.214.716.0
Tas.13.014.113.714.212.816.217.115.614.519.5
NT18.818.519.114.221.820.319.220.219.521.0
ACT11.39.36.29.69.811.47.214.111.012.4
Australia11.210.511.211.112.312.911.913.212.412.9
  1. Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
  2. The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.  
  3. All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
  4. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data
  5. Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue. 
  6. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 

Intentional self-harm by age and sex

The following sections cover various age and sex breakdowns of suicide. Understanding how suicide manifests across these key demographics is important in helping to target policies and prevention activities. 

Intentional self-harm by age and sex: age distribution

The graph below shows the age distribution of suicides and provides an insight into the proportion of those deaths that occurred within each age cohort. The age distribution of suicide for both males and females is similar despite there being considerable difference in the number of suicide deaths for each sex. 

  • The highest proportion of suicides occur among young and middle aged cohorts, while the proportion is lower in older age cohorts.
  • More than half of all suicides in 2019 (54.7%) occurred between the ages of 30 and 59. 
  • The median age at death for suicide was 43.9 years of age, compared to 81.7 years of age for all deaths. 
  • Over one-third of all deaths in people aged 15-24 are due to suicide.
  1. Causes of death data for 2019 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See the Data quality section of the methodology in this publication.
  2. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data
  3. The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.
  4. Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue. 
  5. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 

Intentional self-harm by age and sex: age-specific death rates

Age-specific death rates (ASDRs) provide insights into how suicide manifests across age cohorts by relating the number of deaths to the size and structure of the underlying population. 

  • The highest age-specific suicide rate for all persons occurred in people aged 45-49 with 19.7 deaths per 100,000 population.
  • The highest rate for males in 2019 was observed in those aged 85 years and older (32.3 deaths per 100,000 males), while accounting for a smaller proportion of all male suicide deaths (2.6%).
  • Males aged 45-49 (the second highest ASDR) accounted for 10.6% of all male suicide deaths. 
  • The highest ASDR for females was recorded for those aged 40-44.
  1. Age-specific death rates reflect the number of deaths for a specific age group, expressed per 100,000 of the estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year) of that same age group (see the Glossary in this publication for further information). 
  2. Suicide deaths in the 0-14 year age group have been excluded because of the small number of deaths that occur within this age group.
  3. Causes of death data for 2019 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See the Data quality section of the methodology in this publication.
  4. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data
  5. The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.
  6. Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue. 
  7. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 

Intentional self-harm by age and sex: premature mortality

Years of potential life lost (YPLL) measures the extent of 'premature' mortality, which is assumed to be any death between the ages of 1-78 years inclusive, and aids in assessing the significance of specific diseases or trauma as a cause of premature death. YPPL  weights age at death to gain an estimate of how many years a person would have lived had they not died prematurely. For more information the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section of methodology for further information

  • Suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged between 15-49 and the second leading cause of death for those aged between 50-54.  
  • Suicide accounts for the highest number of years of potential life lost among leading cause groups of conditions due to the higher proportion of deaths occurring within younger age groups. Conditions such as coronary heart disease account for more premature deaths than suicide, but less years of potential life lost.
  • There were 115,221 years of life lost to suicide in 2019. 
  • On average, a person who died by suicide lost 36.7 years of life.

Intentional self-harm by age and sex: suicides of children

Deaths of children by suicide is an extremely sensitive issue. The number of deaths of children attributed to suicide can be influenced by coronial reporting practices. Reporting practices may lead to differences in counts across jurisdictions and this should be taken into account when interpreting tabulations and analysis of suicide deaths in children presented below. For more information on issues associated with the compilation and interpretation of suicide data, see Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) in the Methodology section of this publication. For the purposes of the following analysis, children are defined as those aged between 5 and 17 years of age. The ABS is not aware of any recorded suicides of children under the age of 5 years.


The tabulation below provides information on suicide deaths in children over the last five years. 

  • There were 96 recorded suicides in this age group, with suicide remaining the leading cause of death of children in Australia. 
  • The child suicide rate for males was 3.0 per 100,000 (63 deaths), while for females it was 1.7 per 100,000 (33 deaths). 
  • Over 80% of child suicides in 2019 occurred between the ages 15 to 17. 
  • For the period 2015-2019, Northern Territory reported the highest rate of child suicide deaths, with 8.7 deaths per 100,000. All other states and territories reported rates ranging from 1.7 to 3.3 deaths per 100,000. For more information on child suicides in Australia See Datacube 11 in this publication.
Intentional self-harm in children aged 5-17 years, 2015-2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)
Age group (years) 2015201520162016201720172018201820192019
  No./proportionRate(d)No./proportionRate(d)No./proportionRate(d)No./proportionRate(d)No./proportionRate(d)
5-17 years           
Males           
 Suicide492.5643.2673.3623633
 All causes29815.228014.127113.426412.927513.2
 Proportion(e)16.4na22.9na24.7na23.5na22.9na
Females           
 Suicide402.2281.5351.8392331.7
 All causes21711.71618.619810.41869.61859.4
 Proportion(e)18.4na17.4na17.7na21na17.8na
Persons           
 Suicide892.3922.41022.61012.5962.4
 All causes51513.544111.446911.945011.346011.4
 Proportion(e)17.3na20.9na21.7na22.4na20.9na
            
All ages(e) 3,09312.92,90911.9328513.2313812.4331812.9

na Not Applicable
(a) All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2015 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
(b) The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.
(c) Child rates are expressed as age-specific death rates. The number of deaths for a specific age group, expressed per 100,000 of the estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year) of that same age group. See the Glossary in this publication for further information.
(d) All ages rates are expressed as age-standardised rates. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
(e) Intentional self-harm deaths as a proportion of all deaths in the 5-17 year age group.
(f) See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data
(g) Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue.
(h) Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information.

 

Sex ratios for suicides, defined as the number of male suicides per female suicide death, are provided in the graph below for child suicide and all suicide from 2010 to 2019. . 

  • In 2019, the sex ratio for child suicides was 1.9 male deaths for every female death, while for all ages combined it was 3.1 male deaths for every female death.
  • The sex ratio for all suicides is consistently higher than that for child suicides.
  1. All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
  2. The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.
  3. See the Data quality section of the methodology for further information on specific issues related to interpreting time-series and 2019 data
  4. Care needs to be taken when interpreting data derived from Victorian coroner-referred deaths including suicide. See Technical note: Victorian additional registrations and time series adjustments for detailed information on this issue. 
  5. Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 

​​​​​​​Crisis helplines

Lifeline: 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467
Kids Helpline (for young people aged 5 to 25 years): 1800 55 1800

Intentional self-harm (suicide) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Key statistics:

  • There were 195 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who died by suicide in 2019 (27.1 suicide deaths per 100,000 persons).
  • The rate of suicide deaths has increased from 21.3 in 2010-2014 to 24.6 in 2015-2019. 
  • Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
  • The median age at death due to suicide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is 29.8 years.

Measures of mortality relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are key inputs into the Closing the Gap strategy, on which Australian Governments have worked together since 2009 to reduce disadvantage across areas such as life expectancy, mortality, education and employment. In July 2020, targets initially set in 2008 were revised, with a reduction in the suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people included as a specific target area. 

Methods for reporting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicides

Data reported in this article are compiled by jurisdiction of usual residence for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have been excluded in line with national reporting guidelines. For further information see Deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Methodology section of this publication.

Intentional self-harm by sex

  • Suicide was the second leading cause of death for males and the seventh leading cause of death for females.
  • Male suicides account for 70.3% of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicides.
  • The median age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide was 30.5 years of age for males and 27.0 years of age for females. 
  • The suicide rate for both males and females has increased over time. 
Age-standardised death rates for suicide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, 2010-2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)
20102011201220132014201520162017201820192010-20142015-2019
Male33.431.726.933.732.83736.437.538.139.431.637.6
Female8.113.811.212.112.412.411.211.210.315.211.612.1
Persons19.922.618.922.722.424.223.524.124.127.121.324.6

Footnote(s):
(a) All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
(b) The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.
(c)Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
(d) Data reported in this article are compiled by jurisdiction of usual residence for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have been excluded in line with national reporting guidelines. For further information see Deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Methodology section of this publication.
(e) Rates presented in this table have been calculated using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates and projections based on the 2016 Census. As a result, these rates may differ from those previously published. See the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section of the methodology for further information.
(f) Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 

Intentional self-harm in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by states and territories

  • Western Australia has consistently recorded the highest death rate over the last ten years.
  • Suicide rates have increased in New South Wales and Queensland, whereas rates in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have decreased.
  • The lowest suicide rate was recorded in New South Wales at 19.3 deaths per 100,000.
Age-standardised death rates for suicide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, by state or territory of usual residence, 2010-2014 and 2015-2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)
2010-20142015-2019
New South Wales10.819.3
Queensland21.126.4
South Australia24.620.3
Western Australia38.134.6
Northern Territory31.625.6
Total21.324.6

Footnote(s):
(a) All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2010 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
(b) The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.
(c) Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
(d) Data reported in this article are compiled by jurisdiction of usual residence for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have been excluded in line with national reporting guidelines. For further information see Deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Methodology section of this publication.
(e) Rates presented in this table have been calculated using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates and projections based on the 2016 Census. As a result, these rates may differ from those previously published. See the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section of the methodology for further information.
(f) Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 

Intentional self-harm deaths: Age-specific death rates

Age-specific rates provide insights into how suicide manifests across age cohorts by relating the number of deaths to the size and structure of the underlying population.

  • Most suicides in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people occur between the ages of 15 and 44 (83.2%).
  • The male suicide rate peaks between 25 and 34 years, at 72.5 deaths per 100,000.
  • Female suicide is the highest among those aged 15-24 years and decreases with increasing age.

Footnote(s):
(a) Age-specific death rate. Deaths per 100,000 of estimated mid-year population for each age group. See Glossary for further information. 
(b) All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2015 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
(c) The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.  
(d) Data reported in this article are compiled by jurisdiction of usual residence for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have been excluded in line with national reporting guidelines. For further information see Deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Methodology section of this publication.
(e) Rates presented in this table have been calculated using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates and projections based on the 2016 Census. As a result, these rates may differ from those previously published. See the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section of the methodology for further information.
(f) Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 
 

Suicide of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children- 5-17 years

  • Suicide was the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children between 2015-2019.
  • One-third (32.4%) of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child deaths occurred due to suicide in this period. 
  • Children aged 15-17 years accounted for almost 80% of all child suicides among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 
  • Males and females each accounted for approximately half of all child suicide deaths.

For more information on intentional self-harm in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children see Table 11.12 in Data Cube 11 in this publication.

Intentional self-harm by Indigenous status

Mortality data can provide important insights into population health concerns relevant to different groups within the Australian population. Patterns of death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people differ considerably to those of Non-Indigenous people, as is the case with suicide. Suicides rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are double that of Non-Indigenous people.

Standardised death rates for suicide by Indigenous status and sex, 2015-2019 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderNon-IndigenousRate Ratio (g)Rate Difference (h)
Male37.619.32.018.4
Female12.16.02.06.1
Persons24.612.52.012.1

Footnote(s):
(a) All causes of death data from 2006 onward are subject to a revisions process - once data for a reference year are 'final', they are no longer revised. Affected data in this table are: 2015 - 2016 (final), 2017 (revised), 2018 and 2019 (preliminary). See the Data quality section of the methodology and Causes of Death Revisions, 2016 Final Data (Technical Note) and 2017 Revised Data (Technical Note) in Causes of Death, Australia, 2018 (cat. no. 3303.0).
(b) The data presented for intentional self-harm includes ICD-10 codes X60-X84 and Y87.0. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to intentional self-harm. See the Deaths due to intentional self-harm (suicide) section of the methodology in this publication.  
(c) Age-standardised death rate. Death rate per 100,000 estimated resident population as at 30 June (mid year). See the glossary and the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section for further information.
(d) Data reported in this article are compiled by jurisdiction of usual residence for New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have been excluded in line with national reporting guidelines. For further information see Deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Methodology section of this publication.
(e) Rates presented in this table have been calculated using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates and projections based on the 2016 Census. As a result, these rates may differ from those previously published. See the Mortality tabulations and methodologies section of the methodology for further information.
(f) Changes in coding processes have been applied to 2019 data. See the Classifications and Mortality coding sections of the methodology for further information. 
(g) The rate ratio is the rate for Indigenous persons divided by the non-Indigenous rate. Due to the effect of rounding, rates presented will not multiply exactly to ratio presented.
(h) The rate difference is the rate for Indigenous persons less the non-Indigenous rate.

Crisis Helplines

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467

Kids Helpline (for young people aged 5 to 25 years): 1800 55 1800
 

Post-release changes

31 March 2021:  A number of new materials were released which contain final 2017 data and revised 2018 data. These include: 

  • Technical note: Causes of death revisions, 2017 final data; 
  • Technical note: Causes of death revisions, 2018 revised data;
  • Technical note: Updates to 2017 and 2018 suicide data; and
  • Underlying causes of death (Australia), 2017 and 2018 revisions data cube

Data downloads

Notes

1. Underlying causes of death (Australia)

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2. Underlying causes of death (New South Wales)

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3. Underlying causes of death (Victoria)

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4. Underlying causes of death (Queensland)

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5. Underlying causes of death (South Australia)

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6. Underlying causes of death (Western Australia)

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7. Underlying causes of death (Tasmania)

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8. Underlying causes of death (Northern Territory)

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9. Underlying causes of death (Australian Capital Territory)

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10. Multiple causes of death (Australia)

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11. Intentional self-harm (suicide) (Australia)

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12. Deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

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13. Causes of death by year of occurrence (Australia)

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14. Perinatal deaths (Australia)

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15. 2017 and 2018 revisions

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All data cubes

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Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 3303.0

Methodology

Causes of Death, Australia methodology, 2019

Articles

Media releases