Provisional Mortality Statistics

Latest release

Provisional deaths data for measuring changes in patterns of mortality

Reference period
Jan - Jun 2024

Key statistics

  • 91,319 deaths occurred between January and June 2024, 1.3% more than 2023 but 2.5% fewer than 2022.
  • 16,855 deaths occurred in June 2024, 4.6% more than 2023 but 1.9% fewer than 2022.
  • There were 667 deaths due to COVID-19 in June 2024, the highest number since 753 deaths in January 2023.

Since April 2024 there have been changes in how provisional mortality data is presented. These changes have been outlined in previous publications. April 2024 was selected as the time frame to implement changes as it coincides with the beginning of the reporting period for deaths occurring in 2024. The format of these reports will take account of the following factors.  

  • Deaths are no longer compared to a "baseline average". The ABS now releases official Excess mortality estimates every six months. Estimates to December 2023 are included in this publication and can be accessed from the articles link. These estimates are modelled from a historical baseline accounting for age structure and population. With this report available, the baseline constructed from an average count of deaths which was previously included in the Provisional Mortality Report is no longer necessary. The latest excess mortality estimates are available in the article ‘Measuring Australia’s excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic until December 2023’, published on 28 June 2024. 
  • Mortality from influenza and respiratory syncytial virus is analysed alongside COVID-19. The Director-General of the World Health Organization called an end to the emergency phase of the pandemic in May 2023. In line with this, the information presented can be changed to reflect changing data needs. As the pandemic has progressed it is important to consider not only the impact of COVID-19 alone, but also that of other active acute respiratory infections. This additional information is included in the article: 'Deaths due to COVID-19, influenza and RSV in Australia - 2022 - July 2024'.

Previous year comparisons

Deaths for 2024 will have two comparisons points - they will be compared to deaths occurring in 2023 and 2022. 

This publication does not provide official estimates of excess mortality. The ABS publishes official excess mortality estimates in the report Measuring Australia’s excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic until December 2023’.

Age-standardised death rates can be accessed via the data downloads tab in this publication. 

Counts of deaths for 2015-2023 are included in the historical data cubes of the data downloads section of this report. Customised datasets are able to be created from these data cubes. 

Provisional mortality data

The ABS publishes two regular reports that provide preliminary information on mortality - Provisional Mortality Statistics and Deaths due to Selected acute respiratory infections. These reports provide information on different time periods and serve different purposes.

Provisional Mortality Statistics focus on monitoring patterns of mortality (by all-causes and specified leading causes of death) and highlight any changes potentially associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Data must be sufficiently complete to detect such changes, and as such these reports are only released once the majority of deaths that occurred in a particular period have been registered and reported.

Deaths due to COVID-19, influenza and RSV in Australia articles focus on all deaths registered and reported with these acute respiratory infections written on the death certificate up until a specified time. These articles include important information about these acute respiratory infection certified deaths, including demographic details. While it is recognised data will be incomplete, it can still indicate emerging trends or changes among these deaths. The most recent article on deaths due to these selected acute respiratory disease, that occurred and were registered up until 31 July 2024 can be accessed through the articles link in the previous publication.

Australian deaths by week

All-cause deaths

For all deaths:

  • In 2024, there were 91,319 deaths that occurred by 30 June and were registered by 31 August. This is 1,155 deaths (1.3%) more than in 2023, but 2,336 (2.5%) fewer than in 2022.
  • 16,855 deaths occurred in June 2024. This is 737 deaths (4.6%) more than in 2023, but 327 (1.9%) fewer than in 2022.
  • 14,846 of the deaths occurring in June 2024 were doctor certified and 2,009 were coroner referred.

In August 2024, the ABS received 17,484 death registrations. Of these, 17,432 deaths occurred in 2024, 40 occurred in 2023 and the remaining 12 occurred in 2022 or earlier years.

Deaths are presented by counts only. Counts of death do not account for changes in population.

  1. Data is by occurrence.
  2. Data is provisional and subject to change.
  3. Weeks are defined as seven-day periods which start on a Monday as per the ISO week date system. Refer to 'Weekly comparisons' on the methodology page of this publication for more information regarding the data in this graph. Week 1 ended 9 Jan 2022, 8 Jan 2023 and 7 Jan 2024.

Mortality by selected causes of death

Cause-specific mortality

The following analysis is based only on doctor certified deaths (i.e. coroner referred deaths are not included). Any changes in patterns of coroner referral could affect counts of doctor certified deaths. Some conditions have higher coroner referral rates (ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases and to a lesser extent, respiratory diseases and diabetes) so counts for those conditions would be more likely to be affected by such changes.

COVID-19

  • In June 2024 there were 643 deaths due to COVID-19 that were certified by a doctor, the highest since January 2023 (719 deaths). Deaths due to the virus were 9.4% higher in June 2024 than in June 2023 (588 deaths) but 24.6% lower than June 2022 (853 deaths). Between January and June 2024 there have been 2,245 deaths due to COVID-19 that were certified by a doctor. This is 20.3% fewer than in 2023 and 58.4% fewer than in 2022.
  • As the pandemic has progressed the number of people dying 'with' COVID-19 has increased. In June 2024 there were 179 people who died with COVID-19 being identified (via death certificates) as a contributing factor to their death (ie. COVID-19 was certified on the death certificate but it was not the underlying cause of death).

Other causes of death

  • Deaths due to respiratory diseases in June 2024 were 7.9% higher than in 2023 but 5.1% lower than in 2022. Deaths due to influenza and pneumonia were 24.4% higher in June 2024 than June 2023 but 15.8% lower than June 2022.
  • For the year to June 2024, respiratory disease deaths were 9.4% higher than 2023 and 9.8% higher than in 2022.  Deaths due to influenza and pneumonia in 2024 were 22.5% higher than 2023 and 19.7% higher than 2022. Deaths due to chronic lower respiratory diseases in 2024 were 6.7% higher than in 2023 and 7.4% higher than in 2022.
  • Deaths due to diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes were all substantially lower in June 2024 than in June 2022.
  • Deaths due to other cardiac conditions were 8.0% higher in June 2024 than in June 2023, and 3.3% higher than in June 2022.
Doctor certified deaths by cause, 2024, 2023, 2022 (a)(b)
   JuneJanuary - June
   202420232022202420232022
Cancer4,2884,2474,20825,64225,35825,045
Dementia1,6361,5611,7228,6528,4358,813
Respiratory diseases1,4281,3241,5047,2576,6316,608
 Chronic lower respiratory diseases7577217413,9113,6673,641
 Influenza and pneumonia3312663931,4631,1941,222
  Pneumonia2482042401,2351,0431,020
Ischaemic heart disease1,1881,1881,3656,1266,6077,326
Other cardiac conditions9889159565,0224,8614,844
Cerebrovascular diseases7837608604,2414,4424,614
COVID-196435888532,2452,8185,392
Diabetes4404495072,5392,6542,724

a. Only doctor certified deaths are included.
b. Data is by date of occurrence.

Deaths due to acute respiratory infections

The ABS codes an underlying cause of death (UCOD) for all deaths in the national mortality dataset. The underlying cause of death is defined as the disease, condition or external event that started the chain of events leading to death. International coding rules are applied to disease and conditions appearing on the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) to assign the UCOD. A disease or condition must be certified on the MCCD to be coded by the ABS. If COVID-19, influenza or RSV is listed as the underlying cause of death, the death is considered to be been caused by the virus. 

The following table shows the number of deaths due to acute respiratory diseases since 2022.

  • The number of deaths from COVID-19 in June 2024 (667) is the highest recorded since January 2023 (753). The number of deaths in July 2024 is likely to increase from the 471 currently recorded as further death registrations are received.
  • There have been 193 deaths due to influenza in July 2024, and this number may increase further as more death registrations are received. This exceeds the 166 deaths recorded in June 2022, is comparable to the 195 and 196 deaths recorded in July and August 2019, but remains well below the 420 and 503 deaths recorded in August and September 2017.
  • The number of deaths due to RSV remains high in June and July 2024.
Deaths due to acute respiratory infections by month, 2022-2024
 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAll
2022 - COVID-191,6471,0344247169298911,4091,13044725445697110,308
2022 - Influenzanp00np511665717npnpnp5311
2022 - RSVnp000np10141586npnp61
2023 - COVID-197532362724406366063371621552034043934,597
2023 - Influenza75112746751123631433534462
2023 - RSVnpnpnpnp814191991265101
2024 - COVID-19439283264229446667471144nananana2,943
2024 - Influenza27261932488919394nananana528
2024 - RSVnpnp617202319npnananana95

a. Includes acute respiratory infection death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 31 August 2024.
c. All deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have been coded to ICD-10 codes U07.1-U07.2, U10.9. All deaths due to influenza have been coded to J09-J11. All deaths due to RSV have been coded to J12.1, J205, J21.0, B34.8 with B97.4.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this table.
f. np refers to data that is not publishable. na refers to data that is not available.

Deaths with contributing acute respiratory infections by month

The table below shows the number of acute-respiratory associated deaths where the person has died “with” the virus (a person has died from another cause but the viral illness contributed to death).

  • There are more deaths from COVID-19 and Influenza than with these conditions. For RSV, there are substantially more people who died with RSV than from RSV.
  • There have been more deaths with RSV in each month of 2024 (to June) than in the corresponding month in 2022 or 2023. 
  • There have been fewer deaths with COVID-19 in each month of 2024 than in the corresponding month in 2022 or 2023. The number of deaths with COVID-19 in June 2024 (179) is the highest number since June 2023 (199).
Deaths with acute respiratory infections by month, 2022-2024
 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAll
2022 - COVID-19231212127217299286469451186991422813,000
2022 - Influenzanp00010533013npnpnpnp115
2022 - RSVnpnp0np63141402815116182
2023 - COVID-19232120116153193199967957591071331,544
2023 - Influenza70np107203613111410np136
2023 - RSVnp582027475048272379272
2024 - COVID-19140101747111517911428nananana822
2024 - Influenza78979224227nananana131
2024 - RSV812172847594619nananana236

a. Includes acute respiratory infection death registrations only. Numbers will differ to disease surveillance systems.
b. Includes all deaths (both doctor and coroner certified) that occurred and were registered by 31 August 2024.
c. All deaths due to COVID-19 in this report have been coded to ICD-10 codes U07.1-U07.2, U10.9. All deaths due to influenza have been coded to J09-J11. All deaths due to RSV have been coded to J12.1, J205, J21.0, B97.4 with ucod other than B34.8.
d. Data is provisional and subject to change.
e. Refer to the methodology for more information regarding the data in this table.
f. np refers to data that is not publishable. na refers to data that is not available.

Data downloads

Provisional Mortality Statistics, Jan - Jun 2024

Data files

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 3303.0.55.004

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