3303.0 - Causes of Death, Australia, 2009 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/05/2011   
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OVERVIEW

Ranking causes of death is a useful method of describing patterns of mortality in a population. It allows comparison over time and between populations. However, different methods of grouping causes of death can result in a vastly different list of leading causes for any given population. For this reason ABS ranks leading causes of death in this publication based on research presented in the Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, Volume 84, Number 4, April 2006, 297-304 . For further information see Explanatory Notes 39-41.

In 2009, the leading underlying cause of death for all Australians was Ischaemic heart disease (I20-I25), which includes angina, blocked arteries of the heart and heart attacks. Ischaemic heart diseases were identified as the underlying cause of 22,523 deaths, 16.0% of all deaths registered in 2009. While ischaemic heart diseases have been the leading cause of death in Australia since 2000, the proportion of deaths due to this cause has decreased, from 20.7% (26,521) in 2000 to 16.0% (22,523) in 2009.

Cerebrovascular disease (Strokes, (I60-I69)) have remained the second leading underlying cause of death in 2009. Strokes include haemorrhages, strokes, infarctions and blocked arteries of the brain. Over the last 10 years, deaths due to this cause have decreased by 8.8%, from 12,300 deaths in 2000 to 11,220 deaths in 2009.

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01, F03, G30) was the third leading cause of death in 2009. The number of deaths due to this cause has increased 126.5% from 3,655 in 2000 to 8,277 in 2009. This is largely due to an increase in deaths due to Dementia (F01, F03), which increased from 2,096 in 2000 to 5,836 in 2009. For further information see Explanatory Note 74.

Trachea and lung cancers (C33-C34) were the fourth leading cause of death in 2009. Over the last 10 years, deaths due to this cause have increased by 13.2%, from 6,878 in 2000 to 7,786 in 2009.

The top 10 leading causes of death accounted for 52.8% of all deaths registered in 2009, and the top 20 leading causes accounted for 67.2%.

2.1 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH(a), Australia - Selected years - 2000, 2004 ,2009(b)(c)
2000
2004
2009
Cause of death and ICD code
no.
Rank
no.
Rank
no.
Rank
Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25)
26 521
1
24 576
1
22 523
1
Strokes (I60-I69)
12 300
2
12 041
2
11 220
2
Dementia and Alzheimer disease (F01, F03, G30)
3 655
7
4 606
5
8 277
3
Trachea and lung cancer (C33-C34)
6 878
3
7 264
3
7 786
4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J47)
5 962
4
5 785
4
5 978
5
Diabetes (E10-E14)
3 006
9
3 599
8
4 170
6
Colon and rectum cancer (C18-C21)
4 712
5
4 126
6
4 065
7
Blood and lymph cancer (including leukaemia) (C81-C96)
3 744
6
3 820
7
3 810
8
Diseases of the kidney and urinary system (N00-N39)
2 597
12
2 896
10
3 312
9
Heart failure (I50-I51)
3 122
8
2 823
11
3 214
10
Prostate cancer (C61)
2 663
11
2 761
12
3 111
11
Breast cancer (C50)
2 530
13
2 661
13
2 799
12
Pancreatic cancer (C25)
1 737
16
1 978
15
2 204
13
Suicide (X60-X84)(d)
2 363
14
2 098
14
2 130
14
Hypertensive diseases (I10-I15)
1 202
19
1 340
19
1 846
15
Skin cancers (C43-C44)
1 342
17
1 573
17
1 837
16
Influenza and pneumonia (J09-J18)
2 937
10
3 381
9
1 796
17
Cardiac arrhythmias (I47-I49)
964
23
1 229
21
1 549
18
Cirrhosis and other diseases of liver (K70-K77)
1 162
21
1 386
18
1 547
19
Land Transport Accidents (V01-V89)
1 921
15
1 600
16
1 417
20
(a) Causes listed are the leading causes of death for all deaths registered in 2009, based on WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Note 40 for further information.
(b) Causes of death data for 2009 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Technical Note: Causes of Death Revisions and Explanatory Notes 28-32.
(c) See Explanatory Notes 73-84 for further information on specific issues relating to 2009 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 80-83.








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