Heart disease remains Australia’s primary cause of death with dementia continuing to edge higher into second place, despite a drop in the rate of overall deaths.
Figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, released today, show death rates have decreased by over 70% since 1907, however rates increase according to how remote a person’s location is, with premature and potentially avoidable deaths higher in the country than the city.
The figures also show a stark difference in life expectancy between Indigenous Australians and the rest of the country, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people expected to live 8.6 years less for men and 7.8 years less for women.