The following symbols and abbreviations are used in this publication:
| ABS | Australian Bureau of Statistics |
| ACT | Australian Capital Territory |
| AIHW | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
| Aust. | Australia |
| cat. no. | Catalogue number |
| CD | Collection District |
| CDR | crude death rate |
| ERP | estimated resident population |
| HIV/AIDS | Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome |
| ICD-10 | International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision |
| ICD-9 | International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision |
| IHD | ischaemic heart disease |
| IMR | infant mortaility rate |
| ISDR | indirect standardised death rate |
| no. | number |
| NSW | New South Wales |
| NT | Northern Territory |
| Qld | Queensland |
| SA | South Australia |
| SACC | Standard Australian Classification of Countries |
| SAR | Special Administrative Region |
| SD | statistical division |
| SDR | standardised death rate |
| SEIFA | Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas |
| SLA | statistical local area |
| SSD | statistical subdivision |
| Tas. | Tasmania |
| USA | United States of America |
| Vic. | Victoria |
| WA | Western Australia |