Queensland’s leading causes of death revealed

Queensland’s leading causes of death have been revealed in a sobering report which details how disease, cancer and freak accidents have claimed the lives of almost 100,000 people.

Queensland’s leading causes of death have been revealed in a sobering report which details how disease, cancer and freak accidents have claimed the lives of almost 100,000 people.

The chief health officer’s 2020 Health of Queenslanders report reveals coronary heart disease was the leading cause of death among both men and women in 2018 – the most recent available data.

Coronary heart disease killed 19,256 people in 2018, 7537 more people than the next biggest killer – dementia and Alzheimer’s.

In 2018 suicide was ranked eighth (3698 deaths), prostate cancer ninth (3423) and breast cancer 10th (2787).

Suicide is more prevalent in males, making up 3.6 per cent of deaths compared to 1.2 per cent for females.

According to the chief health officer’s report, the average age at death was 80.4 years.

The mortality rate was 5.4 per 1000 people, however, it rises to 9.6 per 1000 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Complications of pregnancy and delivery was the leading cause of death for people under one year old, with 56 occurring in 2018.

Accidental drowning and pedestrian in a transport accident were the first and second leading causes of death for people aged between one and 14.

Intentional self-harm caused the most deaths, 268, among 15 and 34 year-olds.

Digestive cancers killed 2114 people between 35 and 84 years old, and coronary heart disease killed 1687 people aged 85 and over.

From 2014 to 2018, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, COPD, lung cancer and dementia were the top five leading causes of death for male and females.

Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young

“Before COVID-19, the health of Queenslanders and the environments that determine our health were following a consistent trend – an ageing population, declines in key mortality indicators given improvements in our health status, increasing use of health services and notable successes,” she said.

“The health and wellbeing of Queenslanders ranks high on world standards and most of us are happy with a good quality of life.”

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