Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

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DEATHS

DEATHS, Western Australia - 2009
Selected indicators		2009	2008	1999
Standardised death rate(a)		5.6	5.9	6.9
Infant mortality rate(b)
	Total(c)	3.0	3.5	5.0
	Indigenous	7.7	10.1	15.8
	Non-indigenous	2.7	3.0	4.3
Median age at death
	Males	76.5	76.3	74.3
	Females	83.2	83.7	81.5
(a) Deaths per 1,000 standard population. Standardised death rates use total persons in the 2001 Australian population as the standard population. (b) Number of infants deaths per 1,000 live births registered. Due to relatively small numbers of indigenous infant deaths registered, mortality rates relate to deaths over a three-year period, in this instance 2007-2009; 2006-2008; and 1997-1999. (c) Includes infants for whom Indigenous status was not provided. Source: Deaths, Australia, 2009 (cat. no 3302.0).

• In 2009, the standardised death rate for Western Australia continued to decline, falling to 5.6 from 5.9 in 2008 and 6.9 in 1999.
• Similarly, the infant mortality rate has also been declining over the past ten years. In particular, the Indigenous infant mortality rate has more than halved over the period (from 15.8 in 1999 to 7.7 in 2009). However the Indigenous rate is still more than double the rate for all infants in the state.
• The median age at death continues to be higher for females than males in WA by about seven years.