Causes of Death, Australia

There were 190,939 deaths registered in 2022, with Australia’s pattern of mortality differing to that during the first two years of the pandemic. The number of deaths increased by almost 20,000 deaths from 2021 and the all-cause mortality rate was the highest recorded since 2015. Increases in deaths were recorded in all jurisdictions. Deaths due to COVID-19 were a significant contributor to the increase, causing just under 10,000 deaths and mentioned as a contributing factor on a further 2,782 death certificates. The Omicron variant was the dominant strain during 2022, with multiple waves across the year associated with the variant.

While the number of deaths in Australia is expected to increase over time due to an ageing population, the age-standardised rate typically is expected to decrease (there can be some annual fluctuations, e.g. due to a severe influenza season). This expected decrease in the mortality rate is due to factors such as improved medical care and treatments leading to longer life expectancy. The increase in the number and rate of deaths in 2022 led to Australia recording excess mortality (higher than expected mortality). Detailed analysis and official excess mortality estimates are provided in Measuring Australia’s excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic until the first quarter 2023.

The graph below shows the annual age-standardised death rate over the last 50 years. It demonstrates the reduction in rates over the period and the increase in 2022.

There was a change in the top 5 leading causes of death in 2022 with COVID-19 becoming the third leading cause of death. Ischaemic heart diseases remained the leading cause followed by Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, with Cerebrovascular diseases and Lung cancer rounding out the top 5. Chronic lower respiratory diseases became the sixth ranked cause in 2022. Notably:

• This is the first time since 2006 that there has been a change in the top 5 leading causes. In 2006, Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, entered the top 5, overtaking bowel cancer.
• This is the first time in over 50 years that an infectious disease has been in the top 5 leading causes of death in Australia. In 1968 and 1970, influenza and pneumonia was the fifth leading cause of death. 
• The rate of death from COVID-19 has increased by 23.7 deaths per 100,000 since 2021 and 24.5 since 2020. In these years it was the 33rd and 38th leading cause of death.

The table below shows the top 5 leading causes of death for selected years historically. 1968 is the first year of data for which the ABS holds comprehensive leading cause data. Detailed data associated with this table is presented in the leading cause of death article on this topic page.

The proportion of all deaths that can be attributed to the top 5 leading causes has changed over time. In the late 1960s, 70s and most of the 80s, these leading causes accounted for more than 50% of all deaths, with Ischaemic heart diseases responsible for as much as 30% of all deaths alone. Since 1990, the proportion attributable to the top 5 leading causes fell below 50% and has steadily declined since then. In 2022, these causes accounted for approximately one-third of all deaths, with Ischaemic heart diseases accounting for less than 10% of all deaths for the first time in the past 55 years.

The graph below shows the proportion of deaths caused by the top leading causes over selected years historically. As the leading causes are different for each period, the causes of death are labelled in the footnotes and in the table above.

Most COVID-19 related deaths registered in 2022 occurred during one of the multiple Omicron waves of the pandemic. The Omicron variant was first detected in Australia in November 2021. Detailed information relating to COVID-19 mortality in Australia across all waves and including 2023 data, can be found at COVID-19 Mortality in Australia: Deaths registered until 31 July 2023.

In 2022:

• There were 9,859 deaths due to COVID-19 registered in Australia (27.1 deaths per 100,000 people).
• At the national level, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death.
• COVID-19 was one of the top 10 leading causes of death in every state and territory.
• There were a further 2,782 people who died of other causes (e.g., cancer), with COVID-19 mentioned as a contributory cause of death on their death certificate.

For those who died from COVID-19:

• Their median age at death was 85.8 years. This is higher than the median age at death for all-cause mortality which was 82.2 years.
• Over half were male (5,484 male deaths and 4,375 female deaths). In all presented age groupings below, there were more male deaths in each age group.
• Pneumonia was the most common acute disease outcome and was present in 41.7% of COVID-19 deaths in 2022.
• Cardiac conditions were the most commonly reported pre-existing conditions and were present in 33.0% of COVID-19 deaths in 2022.
• New South Wales (3,608 deaths) and Victoria (2,956 deaths) had the highest number of deaths.

For those who died with COVID-19 as a contributory condition:

• The most common underlying cause of death was Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (489 deaths).
• The median age at death was 83.8 years.

Respiratory diseases (J00-J99) include acute manifestations such as influenza and pneumonia as well as chronic diseases such as emphysema, asthma and interstitial lung disease.

Tracking respiratory diseases through the COVID-19 pandemic has provided valuable insights into the success of public health measures. Many acute respiratory diseases (such as influenza and some types of pneumonia) are transmitted via droplets, so measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 can also reduce the spread of other communicable diseases. This was reflected in the low number of deaths due to influenza occurring in 2020 and 2021.

In addition, people with chronic lung diseases can be particularly vulnerable to poor outcomes from contracting infectious diseases such as influenza and COVID-19. Historically, respiratory disease mortality rates have reflected the severity of the annual influenza season, with higher rates observed during years with severe flu seasons such as 2017 and 2019.

In 2022:

• The mortality rate from respiratory diseases was 42.5 per 100,000 people. This was an increase of 8.4% from 2021, but remained lower than rates before 2020.
• The increase in 2022 was driven by deaths due to chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• COPD (J44) represented 3.6% of all deaths.

Acute respiratory diseases:

• There were 305 people who died from influenza in 2022. This contrasts with 2 people in 2021, which was the lowest number of annual flu deaths on record.
• The mortality rate for influenza and pneumonia as a combined group remained low at 7.5 per 100,000 people.
• The number of deaths due to influenza and pneumonia increased by 32.3%, and returned to the top 20 leading causes of death after dropping out for the first time in 2021.
• Pneumonia is a common terminal cause of death, especially for older people who have long-term chronic conditions. There was an increase of 33.5% in the rate of influenza and pneumonia as an associated cause of death in 2022 (42.6 per 100,000 people). This increase was driven by more deaths due to COVID-19, which was the underlying cause of death for over a quarter of these deaths (27.0%).
• The next most common underlying causes were chronic lower respiratory diseases (10.8%) and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (10.8%).

To show the mortality pattern over the last decade, age-standardised death rates (SDRs) are presented below for males, females and persons.

In 2022:

• There were 190,939 deaths with a mortality rate of 547.6 deaths per 100,000 people.
• This was the highest all-cause mortality rate since 2015 (552.5 per 100,000 people).
• The mortality rate increased by 8.0% from 2021, and by 11.5% from 2020. The mortality rates for 2020 and 2021 were the lowest and second lowest on record.
• 52.3% of deaths were male (99,924) and 47.7% were female (91,015).
• Mortality rates increased by 8.1% for males and 7.8% for females, with both remaining below 2015 rates.

Deaths data is presented in the table below as age-specific death rates (ASDRs) for selected age groups. In 2021, age-specific death rates increased for all age groups except those aged 25-44 years. In 2022, age-specific death rates continued to increase except for those aged 0-24 years.

In 2022:

• Over half (56%) of all deaths were of people aged 80 years and older.
• The death rates for those aged 45-64 years and 85 years and over were the highest in the 10-year time series.
• The death rate for males aged 0-24 years was the lowest in the 10-year time series.
• After decreasing in 2021, the rate for males and females aged 25-44 increased by 8.0% and 5.1%, respectively.
• The largest proportional rate increase was for females aged 85 years and over (10.3%). This age group had the largest proportional rate decrease in 2020.
• The median age at death was 82.2 years (79.7 for males, 85.0 for females).

Potentially avoidable mortality refers to deaths of persons under 75 years of age that arise from conditions that may be avoided through individualised care, or treated through primary care or hospitalisation (METeOR, 2021). Conditions causing potentially avoidable deaths include natural diseases (e.g., specific types of cancer, ischaemic heart disease, diabetes, and infectious diseases) and external causes of death (e.g., accidents, suicides, and assaults). To enable comparisons over time, all rates presented in this section are age-standardised, which takes into account changes in the structure and size of the population over time.

On average, 40.2% of potentially avoidable deaths are referred to a coroner (compared with 12-14% of all deaths). Data for 2020, 2021 and 2022 is not yet final - numbers of potentially avoidable deaths should be interpreted with caution, as they will increase when the ABS revisions process is applied. 

In 2022:

• There were 28,509 potentially avoidable deaths (18,080 males and 10,429 females). This compares to 27,225 deaths in 2021 (17,291 males and 9,934 females).
• The mortality rate for potentially avoidable deaths increased by 3.5% from 2021 but remained lower than rates prior to 2020 in the 10-year time series.
• While the mortality rate has increased for both males and females when compared to 2021, the sex ratio has remained relatively constant at 1.8 (male to female).

Data for 2020, 2021 and 2022 is not yet final – suicide numbers should be interpreted with caution, as they will increase when the ABS revisions process is applied. Revised data for deaths due to suicide registered in 2020, 2021 and 2022 will be published in early 2024. 

In 2022:

• There were 3,249 deaths due to suicide (2,455 males and 794 females). This compares to 3,166 suicides in 2021 (2,375 males and 791 females).
• The age-standardised suicide rate was 12.3 deaths per 100,000 people, which was a slight increase from 2021 (12.1).
• The age-standardised suicide rate increased by 2.7% for males from 2021, while the rate for females decreased by 3.3%.
• The median age at death for people who died by suicide was 45.6 (46.0 for males and 44.1 for females).
• Suicide remained the 15th leading cause of death.
• Almost 85.8% of people who died by suicide had risk factors identified. The most commonly recorded suicide risk factors included mood affective disorders (F30-F39), suicide ideation (R458), problems with spousal relationships (Z630, Z635) and personal history of self-harm (Z915). For more information see Intentional self-harm deaths (Suicide) in Australia.

• There were 1,267 deaths from motor vehicle accidents in 2022 (961 males and 306 females). This compares to 1,226 deaths from motor vehicle accidents in 2021 (934 males and 292 females).
• The age-standardised death rate from motor vehicle accidents increased by 2.2% from 2021 but was lower than rates recorded prior to 2020 in the 10-year time series.
• The death rate increased by 4.8% for females from 2021, while the rate did not change for males in the same period.
• For males, those aged 65-84 years had the largest numerical increase with 32 more deaths due to motor vehicle accidents than in 2021. The largest decrease was seen in males aged under 24 years, with 17 fewer deaths in this group than in 2021.
• For females, the rate increase was driven by those aged under 44 years, with 21 more deaths in this group than in 2021.

Data for 2020, 2021 and 2022 is not yet final - numbers of deaths due to assault should be interpreted with caution, as they are expected to increase when the ABS revisions process is applied. Revised data for deaths due to assault registered in 2020, 2021 and 2022 will be published in early 2024. 

In 2022:

• There were 228 deaths due to assault (158 males and 70 females). This compares to 215 deaths due to assault in 2021 (154 males and 61 females).
• The age-standardised death rate for assault increased from 0.8 per 100,000 people in 2021 to 0.9 per 100,000 people in 2022.
• The largest numerical increase in assault deaths was in females aged between 45 and 64 years, with 11 more deaths for this group than in 2021.
• The largest numerical decrease was for males aged between 45 and 54 years (6 fewer deaths than in 2021).

Drug-induced deaths are those which are directly attributable to drug use. They include deaths due to acute drug toxicity (e.g., overdose) and chronic drug use (e.g., drug-induced cardiac conditions).

On average, 97% of drug-induced deaths are certified by a coroner. Multiple complex factors must be considered when a death is certified as drug induced. These factors include:

• The timing between the death and toxicology testing which can influence the levels and types of drugs detected, making it difficult to determine the true level of a drug at the time of death.
• Individual tolerance levels may vary considerably depending on factors such as sex, body mass and previous drug exposure.
• Contextual factors such as preexisting natural disease and reports from informants (e.g., friends and families) regarding the circumstances of the death.

For these reasons, it can take a significant amount of time to certify a death as drug-induced, making these deaths particularly sensitive to the revisions process.

Data for 2020, 2021 and 2022 is not yet final - numbers of drug-induced deaths should be interpreted with caution, as they are expected to increase when the ABS revisions process is applied. Revised data for drug-induced deaths registered in 2020, 2021 and 2022 will be published in early 2024. 

In 2022:

• There were 1,693 drug-induced deaths (1,082 males and 611 females). This compares to 1,788 deaths in 2021 (1,120 males and 668 females).
• Drug-induced deaths registered in New South Wales had the greatest rate decrease from 2021 (24.2%) compared to other states and territories. It is expected that there is some administrative affect to this decrease: when the revisions process is applied, the number and rate of drug-induced deaths is likely to increase.
• The sex ratio for drug-induced deaths was 1.9 (male to female). 
• The median age at death was 47.4 years. For males the median age at death was 45.4 years and for females 50.0 years. 
• Opioids were the most common drug class identified in toxicology for drug-induced deaths.

Alcohol-induced deaths are those where the underlying cause can be directly attributed to alcohol use, including acute conditions such as alcohol poisoning or chronic conditions such as alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

On average, 70.1% of alcohol-induced deaths are certified by a doctor. These deaths are primarily caused by chronic alcohol-induced conditions. As a result, alcohol-induced deaths data are less likely to be impacted by ABS revisions than causes with a higher proportion of coroner referral such as drug-induced deaths and suicides.

In 2022:

• There were 1,742 alcohol-induced deaths (1,245 males and 497 females).
• There was a 9.1% increase in the alcohol-induced death rate, with 164 additional deaths since 2021.
• The age-standardised rate for alcohol-induced deaths was 8.7 for males and 3.4 for females, representing the highest rates per 100,000 people in the 10-year time series.
• The rate increase is largely due to complications associated with chronic alcohol use including liver cirrhosis and liver failure.
• The largest numerical increase in alcohol-induced deaths from 2021 was in females aged 45-64 years (55 more deaths) and males aged 65-84 years (47 more deaths).

• In 2022 there were 190,939 deaths, with an age-standardised death rate of 547.6 deaths per 100,000 people.
• COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in Australia. An infectious disease has not appeared in the top 5 leading causes of death in Australia since Influenza and pneumonia was ranked 5th in 1970.
• Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death, accounting for 9.8% of all deaths, the first time Ischaemic heart disease has accounted for less than 10.0% of all deaths since official cause of death statistics began collection in 1968.

There were 190,939 deaths registered in Australia in 2022, an increase of close to 20,000 deaths from 2021. The age-standardised mortality rate increased to 547.6 deaths per 100,000 people, up from 507.2 the previous year. 

For people whose death was registered in 2022:

• 52.3% were male (99,924) and 47.7% were female (91,015).
• Their median age at death was 82.2 years (79.7 for males, 85.0 for females).
• The top 5 leading causes accounted for approximately 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.

Leading causes of death in 2022:

• Ischaemic heart disease remained the leading cause of death, followed by Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease at second. 
• COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death. This represents the first change to the top 5 leading causes of death since 2006 when Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease first appeared, overtaking bowel cancer. 
• Australia has not had an infectious disease in the top 5 leading causes of death since 1970, when deaths due to influenza and pneumonia were the fifth leading cause. The median age at death for influenza and pneumonia was 74.3 compared to COVID which was 86.0 in 2022. While deaths due to influenza and pneumonia are often categorised as respiratory diseases, influenza is a viral infection of the respiratory tract and pneumonia is a lung infection which can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. 
• Cerebrovascular disease and Lung cancer rounded out the top 5 leading causes.
• Chronic lower respiratory disease dropped to the 6th leading cause of death due to the introduction of COVID-19 in the top 5 cause rankings.
• People who died from Dementia, including Alzheimer's had the highest median age at death for causes in the top 20 at 89.0 years. 
• Suicide was the 15th leading cause of death. People who died by suicide had a median age at death of 45.6.

Leading causes of death over the last decade (since 2013): 

• Deaths due to Ischaemic heart disease and Cerebrovascular disease decreased by 6.1% and 7.0% respectively.
• Deaths due to Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease increased by 56.0%, resulting in a narrowing with deaths due to Ischaemic heart disease. 
• Diabetes deaths increased by almost 40.0%, but remained the 7th leading cause over the period. 
• Deaths from Accidental falls more than doubled over the period, and has had the largest increase in leading cause ranking. Accidental falls are the 11th leading cause of death, compared to the 18th a decade ago. They are the highest ranked external cause of death. 

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

For age-standardised death rates between 2013 to 2022:

• Ischaemic heart disease decreased by 25.7% over the decade. The SDR increased from 2020 in both 2021 and 2022, after annual decreases in each of the 8 years prior. 
• The gap between Ischaemic heart disease and Dementia has narrowed over time; however the rate difference has slowed since the start of the pandemic.
• While the number of Dementia deaths has increased over the 10 year period, the age-standardised death rate for Dementia has been more stable.
• Cerebrovascular disease decreased by 27.0%.
• Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (Lung cancer) decreased by 15.3%.
• The rate of death from COVID-19 was 27.1 per 100,000 people, approximately 8 times higher than the rate in 2021 and over 10 times higher than the rate in 2020. 

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. When considered in terms of premature mortality, the leading causes of death have a notably different profile. Refer to Mortality tabulations and methodologies - Years of potential life lost (YPLL) in the Methodology section of this publication for more information.

In 2022:

• Suicide is a leading cause of premature death accounting for the highest number of potential years of life lost (108,762). People who died by suicide had a median age at death of 45.6.
• Ischaemic heart disease had the highest number of deaths occurring in those aged under 78 but the second highest number of YPLL at 76,865 years. People who died from Ischaemic heart disease had a median age at death of 83.8.
• People who died from Lung cancer, Transport accidents and Accidental poisoning had the 3rd, 4th and 5th highest YPLL, with median ages at 75.2, 46.4 and 46.1, respectively.

For the 99,924 males who died in 2022:

• COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death (5,484 deaths), up from 33rd in 2021 (660 deaths). The rate of death from COVID-19 was 34.8 deaths per 100,000 people.
• Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death (11,303 deaths) and remains considerably higher than the second ranked cause (Dementia at 6,130 deaths).
• Prostate cancer was the seventh leading cause of death and second leading cause of cancer death.
• Suicide was the 11th leading cause. Three-quarters (75.6%) of people who died by suicide were male. Deaths due to suicide were the highest ranked external cause of death in males. 

For males from 2013 to 2022:

• The death rate for Ischaemic heart disease decreased by 23.5%.
• The death rate for Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease increased by 19.6%.
• The death rate for Lung cancer decreased by 22.0%.

For the 91,015 females who died in 2022:

• COVID-19 was the fourth leading cause of death (4,375 deaths). The rate of death from COVID-19 was 20.9 deaths per 100,000, which was 8.3 times higher than 2021.
• Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease was the leading cause of death (10,976 deaths).
• The death rate for Dementia increased by 23.9% over the last decade. Close to two-thirds of people who died from Dementia were female.
• Ischaemic heart disease was the second leading cause with 7,340 deaths.
• Breast cancer was the seventh leading cause overall and second leading cause of cancer deaths with 3,140 deaths.

The leading cause of death profile for Australia is not the same across all jurisdictions. The table below shows the top 10 leading causes of death for each state and territory in 2022, providing insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic differed across jurisdictions in this time. 

Leading causes of death for states and territories in 2022:

• COVID-19 appeared in the top 10 leading causes for all jurisdictions. The ranking differed across the states and territories ranging from being the 3rd leading cause (in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Australian Capital Territory) to the 9th in Northern Territory.
• COVID-19 was the 6th leading cause in the remaining jurisdictions (Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania). 
• The top 10 leading cause profile for New South Wales is the same as the leading causes for Australia overall. Deaths in New South Wales account for approximately one-third of all deaths.
• Ischaemic heart disease is the top leading cause in each jurisdiction, except for South Australia and Australian Capital Territory, where Dementia, including Alzheimer's is the leading cause of death.
• Deaths from external causes contribute to a greater proportion of mortality in Northern Territory when compared with other jurisdictions. Transport accidents and Intentional self-harm were the 6th and 7th ranked leading causes.

The table below presents a time series of leading causes of death for selected years from 1968 to 2022. 

Over the last 55 years: 

• The top 5 leading causes of death remained the same between 2006 and 2021, with some variance in rankings. With the introduction COVID-19 as the third leading cause in 2022, Chronic lower respiratory disease no longer features in the top 5.
• While deaths due to Ischaemic heart disease have been the leading cause of death over the 55 year period, they have decreased by 44.2%. Between 1968 and 1978 Ischaemic heart disease accounted for approximately 30% of all deaths. This compares to less than 10% in 2022.
• In 1968 Dementia, including Alzheimer's contributed to 0.2% of all deaths, compared to 9.0% in 2022. Dementia, including Alzheimer's first appeared in the top 5 leading causes of death in 2006 when it overtook bowel cancer (currently the 8th leading cause). 
• Cerebrovascular disease was ranked 2nd from 1968 until 2013, when Dementia, including Alzheimer's became the 2nd leading cause. Between 1968 and 2022, deaths due to Cerebrovascular disease have decreased by 36.0%.
• Influenza and pneumonia was the fifth leading cause of death in 1968 and most recently appeared in the top 5 causes of death in 1970. This is the last time an infectious disease appeared in the top 5 leading causes of death. While the number of deaths has remained relatively stable across years, their relative contribution to all deaths has decreased due to our growing population.
• Since the 1970's deaths due to lung cancer have consistently caused 4-6% of deaths each year. 

Across Australia in 2022, there were 5,082 deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (2,751 males and 2,331 females).

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia in 2022 (all states and territories):

• Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death (586 deaths). 
• COVID-19 was the 9th leading cause of death (155 deaths).
• The Northern Territory recorded the highest mortality rate. It is the only jurisdiction where females have a higher crude rate than males.

The table below presents for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: numbers of deaths, crude death rates and age-standardised mortality rates for each jurisdiction in 2022. Age-standardised rates enable the comparison of populations with different age structures. 

Measures of mortality relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are key inputs for assessing targets and outcomes of the Closing the Gap strategy. This strategy aims to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to overcome inequality and achieve life outcomes equal to all Australians across areas such as life expectancy, education and employment. In July 2020 all Australian governments committed to 17 targets under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (Australian Government, 2020). Leading cause of death data presented in this next section is used as a key indicator to measure progress against these targets.

In 2022 there were 4,587 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who died across the 5 jurisdictions (NSW, Qld, WA, SA and NT). 

• Their median age was 62.9 years. The median age at death has increased by nearly ten years over the last two decades (53.2 years in 2003) and is the highest recorded for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death for both males and females. 
• COVID-19 was the 9th leading cause of death. For males it was the 11th leading cause of death and for females it was the 7th leading cause.
• Suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death for males. 

To measure changes over time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, age-standardised death rates for males, females and all persons are presented in the graph below. The age-standardised death rate in 2022 increased by 18.7% since 2021 to 1,131 deaths per 100,000 people. While there has been an increase in overall mortality in 2022 for the whole population, the higher number of deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be interpreted with caution due to the administrative changes in NSW for recording Indigenous status.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who died between 2013 and 2022: 

• the rate is consistently higher for males compared to females
• the rate ratio ranged between 1.2 to 1.3 male deaths for every female death.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males and females who died in 2022: 

• Four of the 5 leading causes of death for males were the same compared to females. They were Ischaemic heart disease, Diabetes, Lung cancer and Chronic lower respiratory diseases.
• Suicide was the second leading cause of death for males in 2022, compared to 10th for females. 
• Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease was the fifth leading cause of death for females and the 12th leading cause for males.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who died between 2013 and 2022: 

• The 5 leading causes of death (Ischaemic heart diseases, Diabetes, Chronic lower respiratory diseases, Lung cancer and Suicide) accounted for over one-third of all deaths. 
• The 5 leading causes of death have remained the same between 2013-2017 and 2018-2022. 
• Overall, the age-standardised rate increased by 8.6% between these two 5-year periods.
• The rate decreased for Diabetes by 4.7%, the second leading cause of death, between the two 5-year periods. It was the only cause in the top 5 leading causes to decrease.
• Suicide remains the fifth leading cause of death in 2022. The rate increased by 17.9% from 2013-2017 to 2018-2022. 

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males and females between 2013-2017 and 2018-2022:

• For females, there were two causes in the top 5 leading causes where the age-standardised death rate decreased over the period. They were Diabetes (8.2% decrease) and Ischaemic heart disease (0.7% decrease).
• For females, the largest increase in the top 5 leading causes was for Dementia, including Alzheimer's (37.6% increase).
• For males, all top 5 leading causes of death had a rate increase over the period. The largest increases were for Suicide (16.9% increase) and Lung cancer (14.8%).

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 to those of non-Indigenous people. Mortality rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are generally higher than those for non-Indigenous people. In 2022, the all-cause mortality rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was double that of non-Indigenous people. 

The median age at death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 62.9 years and 82.4 years for non-Indigenous people, which is a difference of just under 20 years. Ten years ago the difference was 24.2 years when the median age at death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 57.5 years and 81.7 years for non-Indigenous people. The graph below shows median age of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people since 1997.

Among the top 20 leading causes of death in 2022:

• Age-standardised death rates are higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for all 20 leading causes of death.
• The top four leading causes of death also had the four largest rate differences.
• The largest rate ratio is for deaths due to Diabetes, where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a rate over 5 times higher than that of non-Indigenous people.
• The second highest rate ratio is for deaths due to Accidental drug-induced deaths, where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a rate 4 times higher than that of non-Indigenous people.
• For deaths due to COVID-19, the mortality rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 41.2 per 100,000 people and for non-Indigenous people it was 26.8.
• The closest ratios were for Dementia, including Alzheimer's and Blood and lymph cancers (both 1.2), and next closest was Accidental falls (1.4).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are at heightened risk of more severe outcomes from COVID-19. There are several reasons for this, including higher rates of socioeconomic disadvantage, higher rates of chronic diseases and limited access to culturally safe health care.

The number of deaths due to COVID-19 by state are listed in the table below.

In 2022:

• All jurisdictions recorded deaths due to COVID-19.
• Most deaths due to COVID-19 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were in NSW and QLD.
• More females died of COVID-19 than males in all jurisdictions, except Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (0 deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females in these two jurisdictions).
• Females had a higher mortality rate than males across all jurisdictions (where a mortality rate was able to be calculated).
• Northern Territory had the highest mortality rate for COVID-19.
• Western Australia had the lowest mortality rate for COVID-19.

• The median age of deaths due to COVID-19 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 71.3 years and 86.0 years for non-Indigenous people. For both populations, the median age at death from COVID-19 was higher than the median age for all-cause mortality in 2022 (62.9 and 82.4).
• It was the 9th leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared to 4th for non-Indigenous people in these 5 jurisdictions.
• Compared to non-Indigenous people, a higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died with COVID-19 as a contributing factor to their death (ie. when COVID-19 was certified on the death certificate but it was not the underlying cause of death).

For deaths due to COVID-19:

• There were 135 deaths due to COVID-19 of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared to 6,433 deaths of non-Indigenous people.
• Influenza and pneumonia was the most common cause grouping reported with COVID-19 for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people. Pneumonia is a common complication of COVID-19.
• For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people these deaths were more likely to be reported with diabetes and urinary diseases as contributing co-morbidities than non-Indigenous people (11.0% and 10.1% respectively).
• For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, these deaths were less likely to be reported with dementia than non-Indigenous people (7.9% less deaths with dementia).

In 2022:

• 3,249 people died by suicide.
• The crude death rate for deaths due to suicide was 12.5 per 100,000 people.
• The age-standardised suicide rate was 12.3 per 100,000 people.
• Suicide was the 15th leading cause of death.

In order to measure changes over time, age-standardised suicide rates for males, females and all persons are presented in the graph below. Upper and lower bounds (confidence intervals) are included to show the potential variability of the annual suicide rates and can be used in measuring statistical significance of the annual rate change.

For males in 2022:

• There were 2,455 deaths due to suicide.
• Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death.
• The median age at death for those who died by suicide was 46.0 years. 
• Over three-quarters (75.6%) of people who died by suicide were male.
• The suicide rate for males increased by 2.6% from 2021.

For females in 2022:

• There were 794 deaths due to suicide.
• Suicide was the 26th leading cause of death. 
• The median age at death for those who died by suicide was 44.1 years. 
• The suicide rate for females decreased by 2.3% from 2021.

In 2022:

• Three-quarters of people who died by suicide had a usual residence in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
• Those living in the Northern Territory had the highest suicide rate at 20.5 per 100,000 people. 

Between 2021 and 2022:

• The suicide rate decreased in Queensland, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.
• The suicide rate increased in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

Understanding how suicide manifests across key demographics is important in helping to target policies and prevention activities. The graph below shows the age distribution for those who died by suicide and the proportion of those deaths that occurred within each age cohort.

In 2022:

• Young and middle-aged people were more likely to die by suicide than those in older age cohorts.
• 81.7 percent of people who died by suicide were aged under 65 years.
• People who died by suicide had a median age of 45.6 years compared to 82.2 years for all deaths.
• The proportional distribution of those aged under 25 who died by suicide differed for males and females:
  • For females, 15.5% of suicides occurred in those aged under 25 years.
  • For males 10.5% of suicides occurred in those aged under 25.

Suicide of males: age-specific death rates

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

In 2022, males aged over 85 years:

• Had the highest age-specific suicide rate (32.7 per 100,000). 
• Accounted for 2.9% of suicides of males.

In 2022, males aged between 45-49 years: 

• Had the highest age-specific suicide rate of those aged under 85 years (32.6 per 100,000).
• Accounted for the largest proportion deaths due to suicide (10.7%).

Between 2021 and 2022:

• Males aged between 45-49 years had the largest increase in their age-specific suicide rate (up 9.4 deaths per 100,000).
• Males aged between 80-84 years had the largest decrease in their age-specific suicide rate (down 9.4 deaths per 100,000).

Suicide of females: age-specific death rates

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

In 2022, females aged over 85 years:

• Had the highest age-specific suicide rate for the first time since the beginning of the ABS mortality data time series (starts in 1968) with a rate of 10.6 deaths per 100,000 females. 
• Accounted for 4.4% of suicides of females.

In 2022, females aged under 50 years: 

• Those aged between 45-49 years had the highest age-specific suicide rate of females aged under 85 years (8.8 deaths per 100,000).
• The highest proportion of suicide occurred in those aged between 25-29 years (9.4%).  

Between 2021 and 2022:

• Females aged between 70-74 years had the largest increase in their age-specific suicide rate (up 1.7 deaths per 100,000).
• Females aged between 40-44 years had the largest decrease in their age-specific suicide rate (down 1.6 deaths per 100,000).

Suicide accounted for the highest number of years of potential life lost among leading cause groups of conditions for both males and females. This is due to the high proportion of suicides that occur within younger age groups. Conditions such as coronary heart disease account for more premature deaths than suicide, but less years of potential life lost.

In 2022:

• Suicide was the leading cause of death for those aged between 15-44 years. 
• Suicide was the leading cause of premature mortality with 108,762 years of life lost.
• A person who died by suicide lost on average 35.6 years of life. 

For males who died in 2022:

• Suicide was the leading cause of premature mortality with 80,958 years of life lost.
• Those who died by suicide lost on average 34.9 years of life.

For females who died in 2022:

• Suicide was the leading cause of premature mortality with 27,893 years of life lost.
• Those who died by suicide lost on average 37.7 years of life.

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 considered 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) section of the methodology in this publication. For the purposes of the following analysis, children are defined as those aged between 5 and 17 years of age. The ABS are not aware of any recorded suicides of children under the age of 5 years. The tabulation below shows the number and age-specific death rate for children who died by suicide over the last 5 years.

In 2022: 

• There were 77 children who died by suicide. This is the lowest number of suicides of children in the 5 year time series presented.  
• Suicide accounted for 15.5% of child deaths.
• Suicide was the second leading cause of child death in Australia, after land transport accidents. This is a reduction from previous years- Suicide has been the leading cause of death in children since 2013.  
• Males had a suicide rate of 2.2 per 100,000 children (47 deaths).
• Females had a suicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 children (30 deaths).
• Over 80% of children who died by suicide were aged 15-17 years (64 deaths).
• The suicide rate in Queensland decreased by 54.3% in 2022. Queensland and was the largest contributor to the overall decrease in suicides of children between 2021 and 2022.

• The sex ratio for children aged 5-17 years was 1.6 males per female death. This compared to a sex ratio of 3.1 for people of all ages who died by suicide.
• The sex ratio for children has remained consistent over the last 10 years.

People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CaLD) may have unique experiences in relation to mental health and suicide, including cultural and family views and how health services are accessed. Death registrations do not directly collect information on whether a person was part of a CaLD community. Data items from the death registration which can provide some indication of cultural and linguistic diversity are country of birth and years of residence in Australia. While these two variables do not provide complete information on suicide for people of CaLD backgrounds, they do provide some additional insights into suicide in Australia.

Four new data tables containing suicide data by country of birth have been added to this publication. These tables have been included in Data Cube 11 (Tables 11.22-11.25).

Suicide by region of birth

For the 5-year period 2018 to 2022:

• Those who were born in Australia had a suicide rate of 14.7 deaths per 100,000 people, which was the highest suicide rate by region of birth and 79.3% higher than the suicide rate for those born overseas (8.2 per 100,000).

For those born overseas:

• Those with a country of birth in the Oceania and Antarctic region (excluding Australia) had the highest suicide rate, at 14.2 per 100,000 people.
• Those with a country of birth in Southern and Central Asia had the lowest suicide rate, at 4.2 per 100,000 people. Those born in this region also had the lowest median age at death at 34.5 years.
• South-East Asia and Southern and Central Asia were the only two country of birth regions with a lower median age at death due to suicide than those born in Australia.

Suicide by country of birth

The graph below shows the age-standardised suicide rate for the 20 most common countries of birth for those who died by suicide in Australia in 2018-2022.

For the 5-year period 2018 to 2022:

• Excluding Australia, England was the most common country of birth for those who died by suicide (757 deaths). When adjusted for population size and age-structure, those with a country of birth in England did not have the highest suicide rate of those born overseas. 
• Those born in Croatia, New Zealand and Scotland had a higher suicide rate than those born in Australia.

Circumstances relating to a suicide are complex and multifaceted. Often, it is the combination of multiple factors rather than a single reason that contribute to a person dying by suicide. Risk factors should not be considered in isolation.

The ABS codes causes of death from information contained on the National Coronial Information System (NCIS), including police, pathology, toxicology and coroners reports. These reports provide a breadth of information relating to these deaths, much of which is highly important from a public health perspective. As part of the investigative process for a suicide, risk factors are often mentioned in these reports. For suicide, a risk factor could be one of many factors including mental health conditions, lifestyle factors, or chronic diseases that can interact and increase the "risk" of suicide. While a risk factor may have been present in the life of a person who died by suicide it may not have been a direct cause. Risk factors provide important insights that can help guide prevention and intervention activities.

The risk factors mentioned in the reports on the NCIS are captured as part of the ABS coding process and assigned codes within the framework of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision. The capture of information on associated causes of death is reliant on the documentation available for any given death. This in turn can be affected by the length of the coronial process, the type of information available across different jurisdictions and administrative processes affecting report availability. As such, the information presented in this section reflects information contained within reports available on NCIS at the time of coding and does not necessarily reflect all causes associated with all suicides that have occurred. Risk factors are included and made available as part of the associated causes in the national mortality dataset.

In 2022: 

• 85.8% of people who died by suicide had at least one risk factor reported at the time of preliminary coding. This proportion is likely to increase as coronial investigations are finalised.
• Psychosocial risk factors were the most commonly reported risk factor, present in 68.3% of deaths of people who died by suicide. 
• People who died by suicide had an average of 3 to 4 risk factors mentioned.

The types of risk factors experienced by a person can vary across their life. Risk factors more commonly seen in persons in older age groups, such as pain and limitation of activities due to chronic health conditions, are not as common in younger age groups. Similarly, problems related to employment and unemployment are most common in those included in the working age population (defined as 15-64 years). 

In 2022:

• Mood disorders (including depression) were the most common risk factor to be mentioned in all age groups except those aged 85 years and over.
• Limitation of activities due to illness and disability continues to be the most common risk factor for those aged 85 years and over.
• Suicide ideation was mentioned as a risk factor in at least one fifth of suicide deaths across all age groups. Suicide ideation can include thoughts or contemplation of suicide, and both direct and indirect discussions or comments surrounding a person’s intention or wish to end their life.
• Those aged under 45 years were most likely to have issues with psychoactive substance use (both acute use and intoxication, as well as chronic use) mentioned as a risk factor.
• Those aged 65 years and over were most likely to have chronic health conditions and pain mentioned as a risk factor.
• Factors relating to employment and unemployment were most commonly mentioned as a risk factor in those aged 45-64 years.

Acute alcohol use was recorded as a factor in 16.1% of suicides, and directly contributed to death in a further 2.0% (i.e., deaths due to intentional alcohol toxicity or mixed drug and alcohol toxicity (X60-X65)). Acute alcohol use can affect a death due to suicide in a number of ways including causing respiratory depression (especially when used in combination with other drugs) or affecting judgement and decision-making processes.

In 2022:

• Those aged between 25-44 years were the most likely age group to have acute alcohol use and intoxication mentioned as a risk factor (present in 19.6% of suicides in this age group).
• Those aged between 45-64 years were the most likely age group to have chronic alcohol abuse disorders mentioned as a risk factor (present in 15.4% of suicides in this age group).

Psychoactive substance use was recorded as a factor in 14.2% of suicides, and directly contributed to death in a further 12.3% (i.e., deaths due to intentional drug toxicity or mixed drug and alcohol toxicity (X60-X65)). Similar to alcohol, acute use of psychoactive substances can affect a death due to suicide in a number of ways, including by impairing cognition, perception or moods, or by causing toxicity.

In 2022:

• Those aged between 25-44 years were the most likely age group to have issues with psychoactive substance use (both acute use and intoxication as well as chronic use) mentioned as a risk factor (present in 19.2% and 19.5% of suicides in this age group, respectively).
• For those aged under 25 years, acute and chronic psychoactive substance use were both more common risk factors than acute or chronic alcohol use.

Suicide risk factors for males

In 2022 for males who died by suicide: 

• Mood disorders (including depression) were the most common risk factor to be mentioned overall, as well as for those aged 5-24, 45-64 and 65-84 years.
• The top risk factor for males aged 25-44 years was problems in spousal relationships circumstances, present in over one-third of suicides. Problems in spousal relationships overtook mood disorders as the top risk factor in this age group for the first time and can include separation and divorce as well as arguments and domestic violence situations.
• There was overall a higher proportion of acute substance abuse disorders than chronic substance abuse disorders identified.
• Males aged 25-44 years were the most likely age group to have substance abuse mentioned as a risk factor, including:
  • Acute psychoactive substance use and intoxication (20.6%)
  • Chronic psychoactive substance abuse disorders (20.0%)
  • Acute alcohol use and intoxication (19.5%)
  • Chronic alcohol abuse disorders (14.8%).

In 2022 for females who died by suicide:

• Mood disorders (including depression) were the most common risk factor, being captured as a risk factor in over 40% of all female suicides, and over 50% of suicides of females aged 45-64 years.
• Personal history of self-harm was the most common risk factor for those aged under 25 years.
• Suicide ideation was mentioned as a risk factor in over one quarter of suicides in every age group.
• Overall, substance abuse was less commonly mentioned as a suicide risk factor for females than for males.
• Acute psychoactive substance use was the most common form of substance abuse for those aged 5-24 years.
• For all other age groups, the most common form of substance abuse was either acute or chronic alcohol use.