Deaths

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    NAME OF ORGANISATION
    Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

    OVERVIEW

Registration of deaths is the responsibility of individual State and Territory Registrars and is based on the data provided on a death registration form filled out by a funeral director and a medical certificate of cause of death form supplied by a doctor or coroner. This information is the basis of the data provided to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for processing and production of death statistics.


    PURPOSE

ABS death statistics are based on events registered in respective jurisdictions, with information provided by the state and territory Registrars of Births, Death and Marriages (RBDM). Australian death statistics are used as an input into the production of quarterly estimates of natural increase as a component of population change in the calculation of population estimates. Death statistics are also used in the analysis of mortality in Australia. Trends in mortality are used in the development of assumptions on future levels of mortality for population projections.

The primary uses of Australian population estimates are in the determination of seats in the House of Representatives for each state and territory, as well as in distribution of Australian Government funds to state, territory and local governments. Population estimates are also used for a wide range of government, business and community decisions, both directly and indirectly, by contributing to a range of other social and economic indicators.

    SCOPE

SCOPE

Inclusions
i. All deaths being registered for the first time.
ii. Deaths in Australia of temporary visitors to Australia.
iii. Deaths occurring within Australian Territorial waters.
iv. Deaths occurring in Australian Antarctic Territories or other external territories.
v. Deaths occurred on Norfolk Island from 1 July 2016 are included. This is due to the introduction of the Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment Act 2015. Norfolk Island deaths are included in statistics for 'Other Territories' as well as totals for all of Australia. Deaths occurring on Norfolk Island prior to 1 July 2016 are not in scope for Deaths statistics.
vi. Deaths occurring in transit (i.e. on ships or planes) if registered in the State of "next port of call".
vii. Deaths of Australian Nationals overseas who were employed at Australian legations and consular offices (ie deaths of Australian diplomats while overseas) where able to be identified.
viii. Deaths that occurred in earlier reference periods that have not been previously registered (late registrations).

Exclusions
i. Still births/ foetal deaths (these are accounted for in Perinatal deaths).
ii. Repatriation of human remains of decedents whose death occurred overseas.
iii. Deaths overseas of foreign diplomatic staff (where these are able to be identified).


    DATA DETAIL

    Conceptual framework

Deaths are a component of population growth. See Demographic Estimates and Projections: Concepts, Sources and Methods, Statistical Concepts Library on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website Publication No 3228.

    Main outputs

Main output is annual data. Variables include - age at death, sex, marital status, country of birth, duration of residence, month and year of occurrence, year of registration, usual residence of deceased, state of registration, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths.

    Classifications

Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) for Usual Residence
Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) for Country of Birth

    Other concepts (summary)
Age specific death rate
Crude death rate
Standardised death rate
Indirect standardised death rate
Infant death
Infant mortality rate
Life expectancy
Estimated resident population


    GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
    Australia
    New South Wales
    Victoria
    Queensland
    South Australia
    Western Australia
    Tasmania
    Northern Territory
    ACT
    Other (specify below)

    Comments and/or Other Regions


GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
ACT
Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA)
Rest of State
Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4)
Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3)
Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2)
Local Governments Areas
Remoteness Areas

    COLLECTION FREQUENCY
    Annually

    Frequency comments
    Information is collected from the relevant Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages on a monthly basis.

    COLLECTION HISTORY
    The Australian Bureau of Statistics - ABS (previously the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics), has had responsibility to produce population estimates since it's establishment, and deaths have been an integral part of this process. State and National deaths data date back to at least 1860, while death data are available in electronic form on an annual basis from 1964. Each State/Territory office of ABS was responsible for the collection and processing of deaths data registered with that State/Territory up until 1996, when this function was centralised in the Queensland office of the ABS.

    DATA AVAILABILITY
    Yes

    Data availability comments



    DATE OF LAST UPDATE FOR THIS DOCUMENT
    23/08/2018 02:09 PM