In 2023 there were 183,131 recorded deaths in Australia according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), a decrease of 4.1% from 2022. Approximately 52% of these were male deaths while the other 48% were female.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, men are more likely to engage in risky behaviours, more likely to be homeless or in custody, and are more likely to die from leading causes of death like heart disease. As a result, men tend to die at a younger age than women.
In 2023, over half (56%) of all deaths were people aged 80 years and older. Mortality risk typically declines after birth before slowly increasing again over time. In Australia infant mortality is extremely low, at 3.2 deaths per 1,000 live births. According to the World Health Organization in 2020, the global average is 29 per 1,000 births.
The leading cause of death in Australia is now dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. According to preliminary ABS data, dementia caused 17,549 deaths in 2024, overtaking ischaemic heart disease (16,275 deaths), which had been the leading cause up to 2023. 2024 was the first year in which dementia caused over 1,000 more deaths than ischaemic heart disease. The charts on this page show earlier years of ABS data.
Australia has a lower mortality rate than the OECD average for most leading causes of death, particularly when it comes to heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. Lithuania (394.9 per 100,000) and Latvia (296.6 per 100,000) have some of the highest rates of heart disease in the OECD.Australia's rate of mortality from dementia (25.3 per 100,000) is slightly higher than most other OECD countries, but still lower than the Netherlands (51.1 per 100,000) and the United Kingdom (64.2 per 100,000).
Heart disease was the top cause of death for many years, but dementia took over that top spot in 2024, according to the ABS. This is largely because over the last decade, deaths from heart disease have been slowing or declining, while deaths from dementia have been rising.
Men are twice as likely as women to die from heart disease, with a death rate of 64.4 per 100,000 compared to 30.9 for women. However, women are more likely to suffer dementia with a death rate of 46.9 per 100,000 compared to 37.4 for men.
Men are more likely to die from cancer, with lung cancer killing men at a rate of 31.8 per 100,000 compared to 20.2 for women.
Men are much more likely than women to die from self-harm. In fact, 75% of all deaths due to self-harm occur in males. In total, there were 3,214 registered suicides in Australia in 2023. Of these, men died at a rate of 18.3 per 100,000, whilst women died at a rate of 5.9.
Depression is more likely to be a risk factor for women than men, with 41% of suicides in women occurring with it as risk factor compared to 33% for men. However, divorce and separation is a more likely risk factor for men, with 16% of suicides in men occurring with that as factor compared to 10% in women.
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Drug-induced deaths have decreased from a peak of 8.2 per 100,000 in 2017 to 6.1 in 2023. Over the same time period, alcohol induced deaths have risen from a rate of 5.8 per 100,000 to 6.3.
Men are more likely to die from drugs than women, with drug and alcohol deaths in men occurring at almost twice the rate of women (1.8 times). This is also the case for alcohol, which men are more than twice as likely to die from. In 2023 8.1 men per 100,000 died from alcohol compared to a rate of 3.3 per 100,000 for women.
According to Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker, 75% of Australian adults have not taken out life insurance. Worryingly, 12% say they have not disclosed their smoking as a way to get a discount on their life insurance policy.
For the 23% of Australians who have taken out life insurance, superannuation, buying a house and having a baby were the biggest reasons for doing so. Women are more likely to take out life insurance after getting married or having a baby, while men are more likely to have life insurance bundled in with their superannuation.
54% of Australians say they have some form of health insurance, while only 25% report they have taken out life insurance. Australians report that they are generally satisfied with the level of their health insurance cover, with 68% of Aussies stating they do not wish they had a higher level of cover.
44% of Australians say they take out health insurance for peace of mind. Other major reasons include the use of extras, avoiding lengthy waiting periods and the luxury of choosing their own hospitals and doctors.
If you're concerned about your health and about the welfare of those close to you, why not consider life insurance? Life insurance can provide your family with peace of mind in the event something happens to you.
Life Insurance is a little complicated and a lot overwhelming. That's why we made the Finder Score, to make it easier to compare Life Insurance products against each other. Our experts analysed over 30 products and gave each one a score out of 10.
But a higher score doesn't always mean a product is better for you. Your situation is unique, so your policy choice will be too. Don't think of Finder Score as the final word, but as a good place to start your life insurance comparison.
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With HCF life insurance products, you can benefit from flexibility and peace of mind given the range of policies to choose from.
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Find out what cover is on offer from Zurich Life Insurance and receive a secure quote for cover. Zurich offers a Life, Income, TPD, Trauma, and Child Cover with additional options to tailor cover further.
Of the covid related deaths since the commencement/inception of the pandemic, how many were not vaccinated.
Hi Graham,
As of this time, we don’t have data on the number of unvaccinated people who died of COVID. To get a more accurate answer, we suggest that you check with the Department of Health. You may call them on 1800 020 080.
Best,
James