3303.0 - Causes of Death, Australia, 2014 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/03/2016   
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LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH BY SEX

Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25) were the leading cause of death for both males and females in 2014, accounting for 11,082 and 9,091 deaths, respectively. This reflects a sex ratio of 122 male deaths per 100 female deaths. Tables 2.3 and 2.4 below, list the top ten leading causes of death for males and females for 2014.

2.3 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH(a), Males, 2014(b)(c)
Cause of death and ICD-10 code
Rank
Males
Persons
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)
1
11 082
20 173
Trachea, bronchus and lung cancer (C33-C34)
2
4 947
8 251
Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69)
3
4 279
10 765
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)
4
4 164
7 810
Dementia, including Alzheimer disease (F01, F03, G30)
5
4 106
11 965
Prostate cancer (C61)
6
3 102
3 102
Blood and lymph cancer (including leukaemia) (C81-C96)
7
2 413
4 275
Colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus cancer (C18-C21)
8
2 279
4 169
Diabetes (E10-E14)
9
2 213
4 348
Intentional self-harm (X60-X84)(d)
10
2 157
2 861
(a) Causes listed are the top ten leading causes of death for males in 2014, based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 34-35 in this publication 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 unspecific 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.
(b) Causes of death data for 2014 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Explanatory Notes 52-54 and the Causes of Death Revisions, 2012 and 2013 Technical Note in this publication.
(c) See Explanatory Notes 68-94 for further information on specific issues relating to 2014 data.
(d) Excludes Sequelae of suicide (Y87.0) as per the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. Care needs to be taken in interpreting figures relating to suicide. See Explanatory Notes 85-92 in this publication.


2.4 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH(a), Females, 2014(b)(c)
Cause of death and ICD-10 code
Rank
Females
Persons
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)
1
9 091
20 173
Dementia, including Alzheimer disease (F01, F03, G30)
2
7 859
11 965
Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69)
3
6 486
10 765
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)
4
3 646
7 810
Trachea, bronchus and lung cancer (C33-C34)
5
3 304
8 251
Breast cancer (C50)
6
2 814
2 844
Diabetes (E10-E14)
7
2 135
4 348
Heart failure (I50-I51)
8
1 975
3 447
Colon, sigmoid, rectum and anus cancer (C18-C21)
9
1 890
4 169
Blood and lymph cancer (including leukaemia) (C81-C96)
10
1 862
4 275
(a) Causes listed are the top ten leading causes of death for females in 2014, based on the WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 34-35 in this publication 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 unspecific 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.
(b) Causes of death data for 2014 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Explanatory Notes 52-54 and the Causes of Death Revisions, 2012 and 2013 Technical Note in this publication.
(c) See Explanatory Notes 68-94 for further information on specific issues relating to 2014 data.


The remaining leading causes of death vary between the sexes, in part due to gender-specific causes, such as prostate cancer.

Of the top ten leading causes of death for males presented in Table 2.3, above, those with a higher proportion of male to female deaths were:
  • Intentional self-harm [Suicide] (X60-X84): 75.4%, or 306 male deaths for every 100 female deaths;
  • Trachea, bronchus and lung cancers (C33-C34): 60.0%, or 150 male deaths for every 100 female deaths;
  • Blood and lymph cancers (including leukaemia) (C81-C96): 56.4%, or 130 male deaths for every 100 female deaths;
  • Ischaemic heart disease (I20-I25): 54.9%, or 122 male deaths for every 100 female deaths;
  • Colon and rectum cancers (C18-C21): 54.7%, or 121 male deaths for every 100 female deaths;
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47): 53.3%, or 114 male deaths for every 100 female deaths; and
  • Diabetes (E10-E14): 50.9%, or 104 male deaths for every 100 female deaths.

Of the top ten leading causes of death for females presented in Table 2.4, above, those with a higher proportion of female to male deaths were:
  • Breast cancer (C50): 98.9%, or one male death for every 100 female deaths;
  • Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (F01, F03, G30): 65.7%, or 52 male deaths for every 100 female deaths;
  • Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69): 60.3%, 66 male deaths for every 100 female deaths; and
  • Heart failure (I50-I51): 57.3%, or 75 male deaths for every 100 female deaths.