Deaths, Australia methodology

This release contains statistics for deaths and mortality. Detailed information can be obtained from data cubes (in Microsoft Excel format) and Data Explorer datasets available electronically, from the Data downloads section.

Estimated Resident Populations (ERP) used in this release are based on the results of the 2021 Census and are as follows:

• State, territory and Australia level ERP for 2024 (preliminary status), released in National, state and territory population, June Quarter, 2024 issued on 12 December 2024
• Sub-state ERP for 2024 (preliminary status), released in Regional population by age and sex, 2024 issued on 28 August 2025
• Local Government Areas ERP for 2024 (preliminary status) based on the 2021 edition of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3
• Country of Birth ERP for 2024 (preliminary status), released in Australia's Population by country of birth, 2024 issued on 30 April 2025
• Indigenous ERP for 2011-2024 published in Estimates and projections, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, 2011 to 2031 issued on 24 July 2024.

Statistics in this release relate to the number of deaths registered during the calendar year shown, unless otherwise stated. Statistics relating to deaths by the year in which they occurred (year of occurrence) can be obtained from Data Explorer datasets available electronically, from the Data downloads section.

The ABS Deaths collection includes all deaths occurring and registered in Australia. This includes deaths in Australia of overseas visitors but does not include deaths of Australian residents occurring abroad, even if registered by a state or territory registry.

In scope:

• deaths registered for the first time in Australia
• deaths of temporary visitors
• deaths in Australian Territorial waters
• deaths in Australian Antarctic Territories or other external territories (including Norfolk Island)
• deaths in transit (i.e. on a ship or plane) if registered at the next Australian port of call
• deaths of Australian nationals employed overseas at Australian diplomatic missions and consular offices (i.e. deaths of Australian diplomats while overseas), where able to be identified. This includes historical legations, which are no longer in operation.
• late registrations of deaths from earlier years.
   

Not in scope:

• deaths overseas, even if remains are repatriated
• deaths of foreign diplomatic staff in Australia (if known)
• stillbirths (or fetal deaths) (covered in perinatal statistics only).

Since 1 July 2016, deaths registered on Norfolk Island have been included in national statistics under the Norfolk Island Statistical Area 2 (SA2) code under the Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment Act 2015. Prior to this, only deaths of Norfolk Island residents occurring in Australia were included, and their usual residence was recorded as ‘overseas’.

In Australia, death registration is legally required shortly after burial or cremation. This may delay completion of the registration process. As a result, death registrations will sometimes be recorded in a different year from when the death occurred. Each death record includes:

• date of occurrence – when the death happened
• date of registration – when it was officially recorded
• date received by ABS – when it was included in national statistics.

Mortality data can be reported using any of these dates.

Registration of deaths is the responsibility of the state and territory Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDMs). Information about the deceased is acquired from a Death Registration Form (DRF) which is completed by the funeral director, based on information supplied by a relative or other person acquainted with the deceased, or by an official of the institution where the death occurred. As part of the registration process, information on the cause of death is either supplied by the medical practitioner certifying the death on a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD), or supplied as a result of a coronial investigation. This information is provided to the ABS by individual Registrars for coding and compilation into aggregate statistics shown in this release. Core data items are collected in all states and territories and therefore statistics at the national level are available for key characteristics. Some states collect additional information.

As a result of an amendment made in 1992 to section 17(a) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901-1973 (Cwlth) the Indian Ocean territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands have been included as part of geographic Australia, hence another category of the state and territory classification has been created. This category is known as 'Other Territories' and includes Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay Territory. From 1 July 2016, 'Other Territories' also include Norfolk Island following the introduction of the Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment Act 2015.

Prior to 1993, deaths of persons usually resident in Christmas Island or Cocos (Keeling) Islands were included with Off-Shore Areas and Migratory in Western Australia, while deaths of persons usually resident in Jervis Bay Territory were included with the Australian Capital Territory. In 2024, there were 19 deaths of persons usually resident in Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands or Jervis Bay Territory, and 27 deaths of persons usually resident in Norfolk Island.

Death statistics for states and territories have been compiled and presented according to the state or territory of usual residence of the deceased, regardless of where in Australia the death occurred and was registered, except where otherwise stated. Deaths which took place outside Australia are excluded from the statistics, with the exception of Australian diplomats, where identified.

In the following table, data is presented on both a state or territory of registration and state or territory of usual residence basis. Deaths which took place outside Australia are excluded from the statistics, with the exception of Australian diplomats, where identified. Deaths of persons who were usual residents of Australia's Other Territories including Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Jervis Bay Territory are not registered in these Other Territories but are instead registered in other Australian states and territories. Deaths occurring on Norfolk Island are registered by the Norfolk Island Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages which sits within the Norfolk Island Regional Council. These are not output separately by state of registration but are included in the totals for Australia.

In 2024, there were 443 deaths registered in Australia of persons who usually lived overseas. These have been included in this release with state or territory of usual residence classified according to the state or territory in which the death was registered.

Rates for sub-state/territory regions (for example, Statistical Areas Level 2 and 4, LGA and Remoteness Areas) presented in the data cubes are calculated for each calendar year and then averaged using data for three years, ending in the reference year.

Rates for sub-state/territory regions by Indigenous status (for example, Remoteness Areas) presented in the data cubes are calculated for each calendar year and then averaged using data for three years, ending in the reference year.

Rates for the total population for Australia and state/territory by Indigenous status in the Data Explorer datasets are also calculated for each calendar year and then averaged using data for three years, ending in the reference year.

Rates for the total population for Australia and state/territory (as reported on the topic and Data Explorer datasets) are based on death registration data for the reference year only.

To protect confidentiality, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has adopted a technique to randomly adjust cells with small values. Cells with a value of zero have not been affected by this randomisation. As a result, sums of components may not add exactly to totals. The technique has been applied to all data issued in this release with the exception of median age calculations. These very minor adjustments allow for a greater amount of data to be released, and as they are small, do not affect the utility of the data.

Calculations as shown in the commentary sections of this release are based on unrounded figures. Calculations undertaken by data users using rounded figures may differ from those released. Where figures have been rounded in tables, discrepancies may occur between sums of component items and totals.

The Census and Statistics Act 1905 provides the authority for the ABS to collect statistical information, and requires that statistical output shall not be published or disseminated in a manner that is likely to enable the identification of a particular person or organisation. This requirement means that the ABS must take care and make assurances that any statistical information about individual respondents cannot be derived from published data.

Where necessary, tables in this release have had small values suppressed or randomised to protect confidentiality. As a result, sums of components may not add exactly to totals. These very minor adjustments allow for a greater amount of data to be released, and as they are small, do not affect the utility of the data.

Every effort is made to minimise error by working closely with data providers, including supporting the careful design of forms, training of processing staff, and efficient data processing procedures.

Year of registration

Year of occurrence

Month of registration

Month of occurrence

State or territory of registration

Age at death

Indigenous status

Marital status

Sex

Year of birth

Country of birth

Duration of residence in Australia, if born overseas (available on request)

Remoteness Areas

State or territory of usual residence

Statistical Areas Level (2, 3 and 4) of usual residence

Marital status relates to the registered marital status of the deceased at the time of death and refers to formally registered marriages or divorces for which a certificate is held. The Registered Marital Status classification used for deaths data includes the following output categories: never married, widowed, divorced, separated, and married. A 'not stated' option is also included to allow for unknown/non response.  

Marital status is collected on each state and territory's Death Registration Form. The question wording and response options vary across jurisdictions and over time. Response options may not  match directly to the classification categories and the recorded marital status at the time of death may also not take into account the deceased's marital status history (e.g. where the deceased was in a 'registered relationship' at the time of death, but was previously married). Therefore caution should be used when interpreting this data item.

From 2007 onwards, the categories of separated but not divorced and marital status not stated are also included in total deaths.

This issue of Deaths, Australia includes data cubes containing death and mortality statistics on the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) and the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC). For further information refer to:

• Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3
• Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC), 2016

The 'sex' variable has traditionally been interpreted as reflecting the sex of the deceased, as reported at birth. In recent years, some states and territories have amended their jurisdictional-based Births, Deaths and Marriages legislation to allow for gender identity to be reported or updated on birth and death registrations. For a death registration, the change in legislation means that a person’s gender identity may be recorded. The terms 'sex' and 'gender' are interrelated and often used interchangeably, however they are two distinct concepts, and a person's sex may differ to their gender identity. Data for 'sex' in this publication may refer to:

• the person's sex reported at birth
• the person's gender identity.

In 2024, the ABS received around 10 death registrations where the sex or gender was reported as a term other than male or female. To ensure confidentiality, data for sex is output in tables as ‘males’ and ‘females’ only.

With the legislative changes, there are now instances in the data where a person has died from a cause of death that is not traditionally considered to be consistent with their reported sex. For example, prostate cancer may be recorded for a female, or ovarian cancer may be recorded for a male. While the number of such deaths is very small, they are expected to increase over time.

Transgender status, variations in sex characteristics and sexual orientation are not collected as part of a death registration.

In compiling death statistics, the ABS employs a variety of measures to improve the quality of the deaths collection. While every opportunity is taken to ensure that the highest quality of statistics are provided, the following are known issues associated with the statistics included in this release.

Victorian death registrations

As a result of joint investigations between the ABS and the Victorian Registry, 2,812 death registrations from 2017, 2018 and 2019 were identified that had not previously been provided to the ABS. Of the 2,812 deaths, 40.4% were registered in 2017, 57.0% in 2018 and the remainder (2.6%) in 2019. An issue associated with the Registry's previous processing system (replaced in 2019) resulted in delays to the provision of some death registrations to the ABS. The 2,812 Victorian deaths are in scope of the 2019 reference year and are therefore included in the 2019 reference year.

There were 1,864 deaths registered in Victoria between 2013 and 2016 that were not supplied to the ABS until the 2021 reference year. As these deaths occurred more than five years prior to the reference year, they are not considered to be representative of mortality in 2021 and therefore are excluded from the 2021 reference year counts. These 1,864 death registrations are included in tables that are disseminated by year of occurrence of death. 

For the most part, statistics in this release refer to deaths registered during the calendar year shown. There is usually an interval between the occurrence and registration of a death (referred to as a registration 'lag') and as a result, some deaths occurring in one year are not registered until the following year or later. This can be caused by either a delay in the submission of a completed form to the registry, or a delay by the registry in processing the death. Deaths which occur in November and December are also likely to be registered in the following year.

Of the 187,268 deaths registered in 2024, 93.5% (175,152) occurred in 2024, while 6.3% occurred in 2023 and the remainder occurred in 2022 or earlier years. Any instances where year of occurrence was recorded as unknown are included in the 2021 and earlier category.

For some infant deaths, only limited information for age at death is known. These deaths are included in the following categories:

• not stated minutes and not stated hours (i.e. age at death was under one day) are included in 'Under one day'
• not stated days (i.e. age at death was at least one day but under one month) are included in 'One week to under four weeks'
• not stated months (i.e. age at death was at least one month but under one year) are included in 'Four weeks to under one year'.

The Indigenous status of a deceased person is primarily recorded on the DRF and the MCCD. The ABS identifies a person as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin if this is indicated on either the DRF or MCCD. In cases of conflicting information, identification as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person is generally given preference over non-Indigenous or unknown status. While over 99% of deaths include this information, under-identification and inconsistencies can occur.

The use of MCCD data to support Indigenous status reporting was introduced progressively:

• 2007: South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
• 2015: Queensland – the impact is discussed in Life Tables for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. See Data linkage to derive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths identification rates for details.
• 2022: New South Wales – see Technical Note: The impact of using two sources for deriving the Indigenous status of deaths in NSW in 2022.
• 2023: Victoria – see Technical Note: The impact of using multiple sources for deriving the Indigenous status of deaths in 2023 – changes for Victoria and coroner referred deaths.

From 2023, the ABS began using Indigenous status recorded in the National Coronial Information System (NCIS) for all jurisdictions (except NSW, which began in 2022). If DRF, MCCD, and NCIS data differ, any indication of Indigenous status is prioritised.

While it is considered likely that most deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are registered, a proportion of these deaths are not reported as such by the family, health worker or funeral director during the death registration process. That is, whilst data is provided to the ABS for the Indigenous status question (99.8% of all deaths registered in 2024), there are concerns regarding the accuracy of the data. The funeral director may not always directly ask the Indigenous status question of the deceased's relatives and friends.

The number of registered deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are included for all jurisdictions. However, detailed disaggregation's of deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are provided only for New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. These five states and territories have evidence of a sufficient level of Indigenous identification and numbers of deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to support mortality analysis.

There are several data collection forms on which people are asked to state whether they or the persons for whom they are reporting are of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. A person's Indigenous status may not be consistent across datasets, jurisdictions and time.

People change their identification for a range of factors, including:

• how the information is collected (e.g. Census, survey, or administrative data)
• who provides the information (e.g. the person in question, a relative, a health professional, or an official)
• the perception of why the information is required, and how it will be used
• education programs about reporting as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person
• cultural aspects and feelings associated with reporting as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person.

In addition to those deaths recorded as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or non-Indigenous, a number of deaths occur each year where Indigenous status is not stated on the DRF. In 2024, there were 376 deaths registered in Australia for whom Indigenous status was not stated, representing 0.2% of all deaths registered.

Data presented in this release may therefore underestimate the level of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths and mortality in Australia. Lags in registrations may also affect the reliability of measures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mortality. Caution should be exercised when interpreting data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people presented in this release, especially with regard to year-to-year changes.

Infant mortality rates are presented per 1,000 live births. For 2024, an additional data field on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin of the child was used to derive Indigenous status in four jurisdictions: New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. This increased the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births and reduced cases where Indigenous status was not stated. More details will be provided in an upcoming information paper with Births, Australia, 2024.

The median age at death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria has been included for 2023 and 2024, made possible by improved data quality. This reflects a reduction in deaths with missing Indigenous status, following the introduction of the MCCD as an additional data source for deriving Indigenous status.

Causes of Death, Australia: Statistics on the number of deaths, by sex, selected age groups, and cause of death classified to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

The ABS' releases draw extensively on information provided freely by individuals, businesses, governments and other organisations. The efforts of each state and territory's RBDM to improve the data quality, coverage and timeliness of death registration information, processes and systems are noted and valued by the ABS. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.