COVID-19 Mortality in Australia: Deaths registered until 30 November 2023

Provisional deaths data for measuring changes in patterns of mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia

Released
20/12/2023

Key statistics

  • 20,755 of the 658,524 death registrations received by the ABS between March 2020 and November 2023 were of people who died from or with COVID-19. 
  • The underlying cause of death for 16,472 (79.4%) of these people was COVID-19. 
  • There were a further 4,283 people who died of other causes (e.g. cancer) but COVID-19 contributed to their death.  
  • Chronic cardiac conditions were the most common pre-existing chronic condition for those who had COVID-19 certified as the underlying cause of death.
  • 379 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died from or with COVID-19 since August 2021. 

COVID-19 associated-deaths reported in this article

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory infection caused by a new coronavirus. On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic.

Data published by the ABS in this article is collected through the civil registration system. COVID-19 mortality is identified via death certificates - if the certifying practitioner records COVID-19 on the death certificate, coding is undertaken and the death is classified as either "due to COVID-19" (the virus is considered to have caused the train of morbid conditions leading to death) or "died with COVID-19" (the virus contributed to death, but another disease or condition caused death). COVID-19 must be recorded on the death certificate for a death to be classified as being either "due to" or "with" COVID-19. 

Civil registration based data is not directly comparable with that released from disease surveillance systems which are designed to release information rapidly on both infections and mortality. 

Deaths due to COVID-19: Year and month of occurrence

The table below shows the number of registered deaths due to COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic by month of occurrence. 

The number of deaths occurring in October and November 2023 is not reflective of the true total and will increase as additional death registrations are received by the ABS. Other time periods may also change if the death registration process has been delayed. 

Deaths due to COVID-19 have increased slightly in October and November 2023 after lows in August and September. For every month in 2023 deaths due to COVID-19 have been below the level of the comparable month in 2022. 

Cumulatively, the highest number of deaths have occurred during the Omicron wave.

Deaths due to COVID-19 by year and month of occurrence
Year of deathJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
20200023791231454731461681906
202121120013983164432602191,355
20221,6461,0344257169298891,4081,12944725445696810,301
2023753232268432633597333159148191164na3,910

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. All deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have been coded to ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified as the underlying cause of death; or U10.9 Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this table.
 

Deaths due to COVID-19: Age and sex

  • Males had a higher number of registered deaths (9,013) due to COVID-19 than females (7,459 deaths). In 2023 there have been 12.0% more male deaths than female deaths, with male deaths exceeding female deaths in all age groups other than those aged over 90 and those aged 30-39.
  • For each year of the pandemic, the highest number of COVID-19 deaths occurred among those aged 80-89 years. In 2022 and 2023, the female age group with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths was those aged over 90 years.
  • Males aged under 80 years had a higher number of deaths than females (3,199 compared with 1,833). In 2023 there have been 62.1% more male deaths than female deaths in this age group.
COVID-19 deaths by age and sex, 2020-23
 2020202120222023Total
Males     
0-19 years0210214
20-29 years059216
30-39 years11027543
40-49 years328531094
50-59 years117016438283
60-69 years26138428141733
70-79 years1022071,2714362,016
80-89 years1782502,2408743,542
90+ years119931,5025582,272
All4408035,7042,0669,013
Females     
0-19 years01809
20-29 years0310114
30-39 years0815831
40-49 years01636658
50-59 years63910219166
60-69 years156426195435
70-79 years531326732621,120
80-89 years1981641,6366812,679
90+ years1941251,8567722,947
All4665524,5971,8447,459

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. Deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have an underlying cause of ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified as the underlying cause of death; or U10.9 Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
 

Deaths due to COVID-19: State of registration

  • As of 30 November 2023, the most registered deaths due to COVID-19 had occurred in New South Wales (5,829) and Victoria (5,508). These states also have the highest age standardised death rates (SDRs) since the pandemic began, at 13.2 and 15.9 deaths per 100,000 population (rate for total pandemic period) respectively.
  • In 2023, the highest SDRs were in NSW (12.3) and Tasmania (12.1). Queensland (9.8) and Western Australia (10.3) recorded the lowest SDRs.
COVID-19 deaths by state of registration, 2020-23
 2020202120222023Total
Number of deaths     
NSW636303,7331,4035,829
Vic8057062,9861,0115,508
Qld431,6916502,348
SA438453201,172
WA1106393551,005
Tas170200106323
NT01521164
ACT21215554223
Aus9061,35510,3013,91016,472
Standardised death rates     
NSW0.76.031.312.313.2
Vic10.78.232.111.515.9
Qldnpnp24.39.89.1
SAnpnp27.711.010.3
WAnp17.810.37.5
Tasnp22.312.19.6
NTnp37.2np11.9
ACTnpnp30.711.412.0
Aus3.14.128.311.312.2

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. All deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have been coded to ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified as the underlying cause of death; or U10.9 Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
f. Standardised death rates have been annualised.
 

Deaths due to COVID-19: Associated causes of death

COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death for 16,472 registered deaths that have been received by the ABS occurring up to 30 November 2023. The WHO defines the underlying cause of death as the disease or condition that initiated the train of morbid events leading to death. Diseases and conditions reported on the MCCD that are not the underlying cause of death are referred to as associated causes. Associated causes can be either: 

Conditions listed in the causal sequence (the chain of events leading to death). These are conditions that were caused by COVID-19 and its complications; or

Pre-existing chronic conditions, often listed in Part II of the MCCD as ‘other conditions relevant to the death’. These are conditions that a person had before they contracted COVID-19.

The proportion of deaths where COVID-19 was the only condition recorded on the medical certificate has declined since the pandemic began to 3.1% of deaths in 2023, from 11.3% in 2020. The proportion of deaths with both causal sequence conditions and pre-existing chronic conditions has increased from around 40% in 2020 to nearly 60% in 2023.

Number of deaths due to COVID-19 that had associated conditions
Reported with:2020202120222023Total
Reported alone on certificate102102343121668
Reported with causal sequence of events only1363711,3944622,363
Reported with pre-existing chronic conditions only3012182,6421,0834,244
Reported with causal sequence of events and pre-existing chronic conditions3676645,9222,2449,197

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. Deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have an underlying cause of either ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified as the underlying cause of death; or U10.9 Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
 

Deaths due to COVID-19: Associated causes, conditions in the causal sequence

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that weakens the immune system causing inflammation. This commonly leads to poor respiratory outcomes such as viral pneumonia and secondary infection. Other manifestations such as acute kidney injury and cardiac complications have also been reported but these are less common. 

In 2023, 69.2% of COVID-19 deaths had a causal sequence specified, similar to 2022 (71.0% of deaths).

  • Acute respiratory diseases were the most commonly certified diseases listed as a consequence of COVID-19.
  • Pneumonia was present as a consequence of COVID-19 in over 50% of deaths where a causal sequence was certified by a doctor each year.
  • The proportion of deaths with other infections (e.g. sepsis) recorded has increased from 11.3% of deaths with an acute condition in 2022 to 13.3% in 2023.
Most commonly certified acute disease outcomes of COVID-19
 2020202120222023Total
Pneumonia2848084,2071,4756,774
Respiratory failure661131,1244411,744
Other infections63998263591,347
Acute cardiac complications48597642911,162
Acute renal complications391077502451,141
Other organ failure4377593208921
Delirium2927284136476
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome254415221242
COVID-19 deaths with an acute disease outcome5031,0357,3162,70611,560
COVID-19 deaths9061,35510,3013,91016,472

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. Deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have an underlying cause of either ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified as the underlying cause of death; or U10.9 Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
 

Deaths due to COVID-19: Associated causes, pre-existing chronic conditions

People with pre-existing chronic conditions have greater risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19. While pre-existing chronic conditions do not cause COVID-19, they increase the risk of COVID-19 complications and therefore increase the risk of death. 

The proportion of deaths from COVID-19 which had a chronic condition recorded has increased from a low of 65.1% in 2021 to 85.1% in 2023. Of these deaths:

  • Chronic cardiac conditions including coronary atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathies and atrial fibrillation were the most commonly certified co-morbidities each year since 2021, occurring on around 40% of all COVID-19 deaths with a chronic condition.
  • Dementia including Alzheimer's disease was certified as a pre-existing condition in 28.3% of deaths due to COVID-19 with a chronic condition mentioned in 2023, slightly down from 30.2% in 2022.
  • Chronic respiratory conditions were certified as a pre-existing condition in 18.2% of the deaths with a chronic condition mentioned in 2023, which has been very stable since 2021.
  • Cancer was a pre-existing condition in 18.4% of COVID-19 deaths with a chronic condition in 2023, up from 17.4% in 2022. Blood and lymph cancers (e.g. leukaemia) were the most commonly certified cancer type among those deaths. 
  • Diabetes, a condition that weakens the immune system, was certified as a pre-existing condition in 15.2% of deaths with a chronic condition mentioned. This proportion has fallen from 23.9% in 2021 to 13.0% in 2023.
  • The type of comorbidities most commonly present in Australian deaths due to COVID-19 are consistent with those reported internationally.
Pre-existing chronic conditions certified with COVID-19 deaths
 2020202120222023Total
Chronic cardiac conditions2223513,4191,3005,292
Dementia2751832,5909403,988
Chronic respiratory conditions971611,5596062,423
Cancer811241,4916122,308
Diabetes1152111,2864322,044
Chronic kidney diseases631311,1443981,736
Hypertension1011361,0534011,691
Musculoskeletal disorders3838542222840
Chronic cerebrovascular diseases4325341121530
Parkinsons Disease3719311136503
Obesity95713531232
COVID-19 deaths with a chronic condition certified6688828,5643,32713,441
COVID-19 deaths9061,35510,3013,91016,472

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. All deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have been coded to ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified as the underlying cause of death; or U10.9 Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
 

Deaths due to COVID-19: Country of birth

  • Over 60% of those who died from COVID-19 in 2023 were born in Australia. This has risen from around 30% in 2021 and around 55% in 2022. 
  • Around 30% of the people who died from COVID-19 in 2023 who were born overseas were born in the United Kingdom or Ireland. This proportion was just over 6% in 2021 and around 20% in 2022.
  • Around 3% of the people who died from COVID-19 in 2023 who were born overseas were born in the Middle East, down from 23% in 2021 and 6% in 2022.
Country of birth of those who have died from COVID-19
   2020202120222023Total
Australia3924075,6772,4648,940
Overseas born5109424,5591,4357,446
 Oceania and Antarctica1310631484517
 North-West Europe98841,3025602,044
  United Kingdom and Ireland65591,0134301,567
  Other North-West Europe3325289130477
 Southern and Eastern Europe3053441,6894662,804
  Southern Europe1071116401961,054
  South Eastern Europe1512098232071,390
  Eastern Europe472422663360
 North Africa and the Middle East2824533858669
  North Africa14276412117
  Middle East1421827446552
 South-East Asia235730478462
 North-East Asia83024377358
 Southern and Central Asia213616757281
 Americas72311825173
 Sub-Saharan Africa7178430138

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. Deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have an underlying cause of ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified as the underlying cause of death; or U10.9 Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
f. Country of birth uses the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC).
g. Deaths without a recorded country of birth are excluded from this table.
 

Age standardised death rates by country of birth

  • Those who died of COVID-19 with a country of birth of overseas, had an age-standardised death rate 1.4 times higher than that of people who were born in Australia (15.4 deaths per 100,000 people compared to 11.2 deaths). This mortality rate has varied considerably during the course of the pandemic. In 2020, the age standardised death rate was 2.1 times higher for those who are were overseas born, increasing to 3.9 times higher in 2021 before falling to 1.3 times higher in 2022. In 2023 the age standardised death rate for those born overseas (11.9) was lower than that of those born in Australia (12.6). 
  • The range of age standardised death rates by country of birth was much wider in 2021 and 2022 than in 2023. In 2021 the highest rate was for those born in the Middle East (47.7) and the lowest rate was for those born in the United Kingdom and Ireland (1.6). In 2022 the highest rate remained for those born in the Middle East (60.3) and the lowest rate was for those born in Sub-Saharan Africa (21.4). In 2023 the highest rate was for those born in Eastern Europe (15.5) and the lowest rate was for those born in the Americas (7.1).
  • Since the pandemic began, those with a country of birth in the Middle East had the highest age-standardised death rate at 31.9 deaths per 100,000 people, and those with a country of birth in Sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest age-standardised death rate at 9.2 per 100,000 people.
Age standardised death rates by country of birth of those who have died from COVID-19
   2020202120222023Total
Australia2.42.026.712.611.2
Overseas born5.07.835.211.915.4
 Oceania and Antarcticanp10.935.010.915.1
 North-West Europe2.51.825.712.010.8
  United Kingdom and Ireland2.11.626.012.010.7
  Other North-West Europe3.62.924.412.111.0
 Southern and Eastern Europe10.311.748.414.521.9
  Southern Europe8.48.542.213.718.8
  South Eastern Europe11.916.154.214.224.9
  Eastern Europe11.25.947.515.520.6
 North Africa and the Middle East5.939.754.610.428.5
  North Africanp19.538.1np19.5
  Middle Eastnp47.760.311.431.9
 South-East Asia3.05.330.48.812.2
 North-East Asianp3.832.911.012.7
 Southern and Central Asia4.75.729.911.613.3
 Americasnp5.929.57.111.5
 Sub-Saharan Africanpnp21.48.89.2

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. Deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have an underlying cause of ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified as the underlying cause of death; or U10.9 Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
f. Country of birth uses the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC).
g. Deaths without a recorded country of birth are excluded from this table.
h. Standardised death rates have been annualised.
 

Deaths due to COVID-19: socio-economic status (SEIFA)

Socio-economic indexes rank areas in Australia according to relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage.

  • Throughout the pandemic, deaths have been higher in more disadvantaged areas and lower in less disadvantaged areas. The extent of this has varied during the pandemic.
  • In 2021, the number of people who died due to COVID-19 was 6 times higher for in those in quintile 1 (most disadvantaged) than those in quintile 5 (least disadvantaged). This ratio declined to 2.8 times higher in 2022, and has fallen further to 2.4 times higher in 2023. 
Deaths due to COVID-19: socio-economic status (SEIFA)
SEIFA Quintile2020202120222023Total
1 (most disadvantaged)2895803,1561,0955,120
22393072,4319633,940
31282081,9117342,981
41061601,6025912,459
5 (least disadvantaged)140961,1464501,832

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. Deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have an underlying cause of either ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified as the underlying cause of death; or U10.9 Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
f. Data for SEIFA (Index of relative social disadvantage) quintiles have been calculated using a SA1 to SEIFA (IRSD) correspondence based on 2021 ASGS. 
 

COVID-19 related-deaths (dying with COVID-19)

For death registrations received by the ABS up to 30 November 2023, there were 4,283 people who died with COVID-19 rather than directly from the virus itself. In this article, these deaths are referred to as COVID-19 related deaths.

A COVID-19 related death is one where there is a disease or injury pathway to death that is not directly caused by the virus. For example, a person may have late stage cancer that has metastasised extensively causing organ damage leading to death. This person may also have contracted COVID-19. While the virus or its complications may have negatively impacted health in an immuno-compromised person, the virus itself did not cause the terminal event leading to death (e.g. organ failure caused by metastases). In this example, the underlying cause of death would be recorded as cancer and COVID-19 would be considered an associated cause of death.

COVID-19 related deaths: Year and month of occurrence

Most recorded COVID-19 related deaths (4,210 deaths, 98.3%) occurred during the Omicron waves. There were 9 COVID-19 related deaths (0.2%) recorded during wave 1 and 2 of the pandemic in Australia, and 64 deaths (1.5%) during the Delta wave. The number of COVID-19 related deaths is expected to increase as additional registrations are received by the ABS. 

COVID-19 related deaths have been lower throughout 2023 than 2022.

COVID-19 related deaths by year and month of occurrence
Year of deathJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
20200001010520009
202100000011315192564
2022231208125216298282465446186971382742,966
20232191071121451831889073454933na1,244

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. COVID-19 related deaths have an associated cause of either ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified; or U09 Post COVID-19 condition.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
 

COVID-19 related deaths: State of registration

As of 30 November 2023, the most registered COVID-19 related deaths had occurred in New South Wales (1,570) and Queensland (958). The highest age standardised death rates have been in the Northern Territory (8.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year) and Tasmania (6.2) while the lowest rates have been in Victoria (2.0) and South Australia (2.7).

In 2023, the highest SDRs were in Tasmania (6.6) and the ACT (5.7). Victoria (1.6) recorded the lowest SDR.

Considering the deaths from and with COVID-19 together, the states with the highest age standardised death rates since the pandemic began were the Northern Territory (20.1), Victoria (17.9) and NSW (16.8). The state with the lowest rate was Western Australia (11.2). In 2023 the highest rates were in Tasmania (18.7), the ACT (17.1) and NSW (16.5) while the lowest rate has been in Victoria (13.1).

COVID-19 related deaths by state of registration, 2020-23
 2020202120222023Total
Number of deaths     
NSW1241,0864591,570
Vic837473135653
Qld00646312958
SA0120989299
WA00322156478
Tas0014158199
NT0138847
ACT01512779
Aus9642,9661,2444,283
Standardised death rates     
NSWnp0.29.34.23.6
Vicnp0.55.31.62.0
Qld9.44.83.7
SAnp7.23.12.7
WA9.34.63.7
Tas16.86.66.2
NTnp24.8np8.2
ACTnp10.25.74.3
Ausnp0.28.43.73.2

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. COVID-19 related deaths have an associated cause of either ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified; or U09 Post COVID-19 condition.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
f. Standardised death rates have been annualised.
 

COVID-19 related deaths: Most common underlying cause of death

Of the 4,283 people who died with COVID-19, cancers were the most common underlying cause of death. Blood and lymph cancers (e.g. leukaemia) were the most commonly certified cancer type among those deaths. Circulatory system diseases were the second most common underlying cause of death in COVID-19 related deaths. Ischaemic heart diseases were the most common cause of circulatory system disease for those who died with COVID-19. All of these results still hold in 2023.

Most common underlying cause in COVID-19 related deaths
Underlying cause of death2020202120222023Total
Cancer2147623311,109
Circulatory system diseases0157283151,058
Dementia including Alzheimer's13556209769
Falls5716470246
Diabetes0712145173
Respiratory diseases029753152
Kidney and urinary diseases029929130
Other conditions114439192646
Total deaths9642,9661,2444,283

a. Includes COVID-19 death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all COVID-19 deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 30 November 2023.
c. COVID-19 related deaths have an associated cause of either ICD-10 code U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified; U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified; or U09 Post COVID-19 condition.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this graph.
 

COVID-19 mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

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.

This article presents information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have died ‘from’ COVID-19 (where it directly caused conditions leading to death) or ‘with’ COVID-19 (where it was a contributing factor but did not directly cause death). For most of the analysis deaths ‘from’ and ‘with’ COVID-19 are presented together due to small numbers of deaths.

There were 379 COVID-19 associated deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people between August 2021 and November 2023 across all jurisdictions in Australia. There were no recorded deaths due to COVID-19 of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2020 through to July 2021.

There have been deaths recorded in all jurisdictions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. However, the rest of this analysis focusses on deaths registered in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory only. Only these five states and territories have evidence of a sufficient level of Indigenous identification and high enough numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths to support mortality analysis.

COVID-19 mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by year and month of occurrence

Throughout 2023 there have been fewer deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than in the same month in 2022. The largest number of deaths occurred in February 2022 (39 deaths), followed by 28 deaths in August 2022. In 2023, the highest number of deaths has occurred in January (18 deaths).

COVID-19 mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by year and month of occurrence
Year of deathJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2021       np85npnp20
202225391924181521281381022242
2023188np101410115npnp0 84

a. Doctor certified and coroner certified deaths are included.
b. Data is by date of occurrence.
c. Data is provisional and subject to change.
d. "Died from COVID-19" - where the underlying cause of death is COVID-19. "Died with COVID-19" - COVID-19 is a contributory cause of death but not the underlying cause.
e. Includes deaths that occurred from August 2021 (the month of the first Indigenous COVID-19 death) that were registered by 30 November 2023.
f. Data is sourced from the death registration system and differs from COVID-19 data collected through the surveillance system.
g. Deaths in remote Australia can take longer to register with a jurisdictional RBDM as funerals may take longer to occur. This delay in registration may cause a delay in the death registration being sent to the ABS.
h. Data are reported by jurisdiction of state of registration for NSW, Queensland, WA, SA and the NT only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT have been excluded as data quality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification is not considered to be as robust for these jurisdictions.
 

COVID-19 mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Age-standardised death rates

There were 346 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who had COVID-19 certified as a cause of death across the five jurisdictions. Of these people:

  • 226 died due to COVID-19. This is where the virus caused complications that led directly to death. A further 120 people died “with COVID-19”. This is where another disease caused the terminal complication causing death but COVID-19 was a contributing factor.
  • The age-standardised death rates for deaths from COVID-19 and deaths with COVID-19 are similar for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males and females. 
  • Of those who died from or with COVID-19, a higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died with COVID-19 as a contributing factor compared with non-Indigenous people (34.7% compared with 24.2%).
  • The mortality rate from COVID-19 is 1.7 times higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared to non-Indigenous people.
  • For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females, the rate of mortality with COVID-19 is 2.7 times higher than that of non-Indigenous females.
Number, proportions and age-standardised death rates of COVID-19 deaths in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, August 2021-November 2023, NSW, Qld, SA, WA and NT
 Number of deathsProportion of deaths (%)Age-standardised death rates  
 IndigenousNon-IndigenousIndigenousNon-IndigenousIndigenousNon-IndigenousRate differenceRate ratio
Died from COVID     
Males1065,61163.576.429.921.88.21.4
Females1204,47067.075.030.214.715.42.0
Persons22610,08165.375.830.118.012.11.7
Died with COVID     
Males611,73136.523.614.26.77.52.1
Females591,49033.025.013.55.08.52.7
Persons1203,22134.724.213.95.88.12.4
Died from or with COVID     
Males1677,342100.0100.044.228.515.71.5
Females1795,960100.0100.043.619.723.92.2
Persons34613,302100.0100.044.023.820.21.8

a. Doctor certified and coroner certified deaths are included.
b. Data is by date of occurrence.
c. Data is provisional and subject to change.
d. "Died from COVID-19" - where the underlying cause of death is COVID-19. "Died with COVID-19" - COVID-19 is a contributory cause of death but not the underlying cause.
e. Includes deaths that occurred from August 2021 (the month of the first Indigenous COVID-19 death) that were registered by 30 November 2023.
f. Data is sourced from the death registration system and differs from COVID-19 data collected through the surveillance system.
g. Deaths in remote Australia can take longer to register with a jurisdictional RBDM as funerals may take longer to occur. This delay in registration may cause a delay in the death registration being sent to the ABS.
h. Data are reported by jurisdiction of state of registration for NSW, Queensland, WA, SA and the NT only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT have been excluded as data quality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification is not considered to be as robust for these jurisdictions.
 

COVID-19 Mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Age-specific death rates

  • The highest age-specific death rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is in those aged 75 years and over. 
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females aged 75 years and over had higher age-specific death rates than males.
  • The rate of mortality in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 45-54 and 55-64 years of age is around 4 times higher than non-Indigenous people of the same age. 
Deaths from and with COVID-19 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, age-specific death rates per 100,000 persons
 IndigenousNon-Indigenous peopleRate ratios
Age at deathMalesFemalesPersonsMalesFemalesPersonsMalesFemalesPersons
0-442.92.02.51.00.60.83.03.43.1
45-5422.619.420.95.73.94.84.05.04.4
55-6456.437.446.314.78.211.43.84.64.1
65-7499.991.595.456.228.441.81.83.22.3
75+456.5513.9489.1381.5280.7326.41.21.81.5

a. Doctor certified and coroner certified deaths are included. 
b. Data is by date of occurrence. 
c. Data is provisional and subject to change. 
d. "Died from COVID-19" - where the underlying cause of death is COVID-19. "Died with COVID-19" - COVID-19 is a contributory cause of death but not the underlying cause. 
e. Includes deaths that occurred from August 2021 (the month of the first Indigenous COVID-19 death) that were registered by 30 November 2023. 
f. Data is sourced from the death registration system and differs from COVID-19 data collected through the surveillance system. 
g. Deaths in remote Australia can take longer to register with a jurisdictional RBDM as funerals may take longer to occur. This delay in registration may cause a delay in the death registration being sent to the ABS. 
h. Data are reported by jurisdiction of state of registration for NSW, Queensland, WA, SA and the NT only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT have been excluded as data quality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification is not considered to be as robust for these jurisdictions. 
i. Age-specific death rates reflect deaths per 100,000 of the estimated resident population (ERP). 
 

COVID-19 Mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: pre-existing chronic conditions

Additional causes of death certified on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death provides more information on mortality from COVID-19. Examining conditions in the causal sequence can provide insights into how a disease progresses and leads to death. Examining pre-existing chronic conditions provides an understanding of risk factors that might contribute to death from a particular disease. Both can inform health prevention and intervention policies.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a high prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, renal disease, and cardiovascular disease with an earlier onset of these conditions. Chronic disease is a leading contributor to the burden of disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

For the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who died from COVID-19:

  • Just over 60% developed pneumonia as a consequence of COVID-19. 
  • Chronic cardiac conditions were the most common pre-existing condition present in 38.7% of deaths.
  • Diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions and chronic kidney diseases were present in around 23-34% of deaths with a chronic condition recorded. 
  • A higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic respiratory diseases, hypertension and obesity listed as pre-existing chronic conditions compared to non-Indigenous people.
Associated causes for deaths from COVID-19
 NumbersProportion of deaths (%)
 IndigenousNon-IndigenousIndigenousNon-Indigenous
COVID-19 deaths with causal sequence specified1777,418  
Pneumonia1094,31461.658.2
Other infections2485113.611.5
Respiratory failure211,34211.918.1
Acute renal complications1871310.29.6
Acute cardiac complications176869.69.2
Other organ failure176379.68.6
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome61563.42.1
Deliriumnp265np3.6
     
COVID-19 deaths with pre-existing chronic conditions1998,620  
Chronic cardiac conditions773,44638.740
Diabetes671,29133.715.0
Chronic respiratory conditions541,59927.118.5
Chronic kidney diseases471,10423.612.8
Dementia412,59320.630.1
Hypertension411,14320.613.3
Cancer291,49914.617.4
Obesity812741.5
Musculoskeletal disorders75443.56.3
Chronic cerebrovascular diseases73413.54.0
Parkinson's Diseasenp350np4.1

a. Doctor certified and coroner certified deaths are included.
b. Data is by date of occurrence.
c. Data is provisional and subject to change.
d. "Died from COVID-19" - where the underlying cause of death is COVID-19. "Died with COVID-19" - COVID-19 is a contributory cause of death but not the underlying cause.
e. Includes deaths that occurred from August 2021 (the month of the first Indigenous COVID-19 death) that were registered by 30 November 2023.
f. Data is sourced from the death registration system and differs from COVID-19 data collected through the surveillance system.
g. Deaths in remote Australia can take longer to register with a jurisdictional RBDM as funerals may take longer to occur. This delay in registration may cause a delay in the death registration being sent to the ABS.
h. Data are reported by jurisdiction of state of registration for NSW, Queensland, WA, SA and the NT only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT have been excluded as data quality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification is not considered to be as robust for these jurisdictions.
 

COVID-19 Mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: SEIFA

SEIFA ranks areas in Australia according to relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage. Nearly 50% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population are in quintile 1 (most disadvantaged). The majority of deaths associated with COVID-19 deaths occurred among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in quintile 1 (most disadvantaged).

Deaths from or with COVID-19 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, IRSD quintile, August 2021 - November 2023
 Number% of deaths in quintile% of Aus population in quintile (2016)
SEIFA Quintile (IRSD)IndigenousNon-IndigenousIndigenousNon-IndigenousIndigenousNon-Indigenous
1 (most disadvantaged)1814,25853.632.346.717.5
2793,22323.424.421.219.3
3462,40613.618.214.620.1
4211,9316.214.69.620.9
5 (least disadvantaged)111,3703.310.45.121.5
Total33813,188100.0100.0100.0100.0

a. Doctor certified and coroner certified deaths are included.
b. Data is by date of occurrence.
c. Data is provisional and subject to change.
d. "Died from COVID-19" - where the underlying cause of death is COVID-19. "Died with COVID-19" - COVID-19 is a contributory cause of death but not the underlying cause.
e. Includes deaths that occurred from August 2021 (the month of the first Indigenous COVID-19 death) that were registered by 30 November 2023.
f. Data is sourced from the death registration system and differs from COVID-19 data collected through the surveillance system.
g. Deaths in remote Australia can take longer to register with a jurisdictional RBDM as funerals may take longer to occur. This delay in registration may cause a delay in the death registration being sent to the ABS.
h. Data are reported by jurisdiction of state of registration for NSW, Queensland, WA, SA and the NT only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT have been excluded as data quality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification is not considered to be as robust for these jurisdictions.
i. Deaths without a SEIFA score are excluded from this table.
j. Data for SEIFA (Index of relative social disadvantage quintiles have been calculated using a SA1 to SEIFA correspondence based on 2021 ASGS.
 

COVID-19 Mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Remoteness areas

Those who live in regional areas can be susceptible to poorer health outcomes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in remote areas have a lower life expectancy and higher rates of chronic disease than people living in urban areas. The table below shows mortality rates by region for those who died from COVID-19. Age-standardised death rates are presented below to enable comparison between populations with different age structures for those living in different regions.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who died from or with COVID-19:

  • The highest number of deaths for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people occurred among those living in inner and outer regional areas.
  • The highest age-standardised death rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was among those living in remote and very remote areas.
  • The age-standardised death rate was higher for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across all remoteness areas compared to non-Indigenous people. The rate ratio was highest for those living in remote and very remote communities (3.9 times higher).
Deaths from and with COVID-19 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, by Remoteness Areas
 NumberAge-standardised death rate 
Remoteness AreaIndigenousNon-IndigenousIndigenousNon-IndigenousRate ratio
Major cities1169,73238.026.71.4
Inner and outer regional areas1353,41734.721.21.6
Remote and very remote8812862.616.33.9

a. Doctor certified and coroner certified deaths are included.
b. Data is by date of occurrence.
c. Data is provisional and subject to change.
d. "Died from COVID-19" - where the underlying cause of death is COVID-19. "Died with COVID-19" - COVID-19 is a contributory cause of death but not the underlying cause.
e. Includes deaths that occurred from August 2021 (the month of the first Indigenous COVID-19 death) that were registered by 30 November 2023.
f. Data is sourced from the death registration system and differs from COVID-19 data collected through the surveillance system.
g. Deaths in remote Australia can take longer to register with a jurisdictional RBDM as funerals may take longer to occur. This delay in registration may cause a delay in the death registration being sent to the ABS.
h. Data are reported by jurisdiction of state of registration for NSW, Queensland, WA, SA and the NT only. Data for Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT have been excluded as data quality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification is not considered to be as robust for these jurisdictions.
 

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