Deaths in Australia up by 20,000 in 2022, half from Covid
Covid-19 was the third leading cause of death in 2021, while the incidence of alcohol-related deaths and suicide among middle-aged men also rose, new ABS data reveals.
Covid-19 was the third leading cause of death across Australia in 2022, the first time an infectious disease was one of the top five leading causes in more than 50 years.
Alcohol-induced deaths were up by nearly 10 per cent from 2021, and the death by suicide of middle-aged males saw a significant year on year increase, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows.
The ABS Causes of Death report for 2022 reveals there were almost 20,000 more deaths than in the year before, with Covid-19, in particular the Omicron strain, responsible for almost half of those. Covid was responsible for more than one in 20 deaths last year.
Not since 1970 has there been an infectious disease (influenza and pneumonia) among the top five causes of death.
“The data shows an 8 per cent rise in mortality in 2022 from the year before,” ABS head of mortality statistics Lauren Moran said. “We would normally be expecting the mortality rate in Australia to be going down over time, given medical advances and higher life expectancy, so this is a significant change.”
Ms Moran said the age profile of those dying from the infectious diseases 50 years ago and those who died of Covid were different.
“The average age at death for Covid was 86 years, and they often had comorbidities. In 1968 and 1970 the average age of those who died from influenza and pneumonia was 74, and pneumonia was the leading cause of death for children.”
Coronary heart disease remained the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for more than 18,500 (one in 10) deaths, with more than 60 per cent being males.
The ageing population is changing the nation’s death profile. In 1968 dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease was the 40th ranked cause of death, but last year it was the second leading cause. In 1968 vehicle accidents were the fourth highest cause of death, but by 2022 that had fallen to 19th.
Suicide was the leading cause of premature death in 2022, and the 15th leading cause of death overall. More than 3,200 people died by suicide last year, three quarters of them male.
“Between 2021 and 2022 males aged between 45-49 years had the largest increase in their age-specific suicide rate (up 9.4 deaths per 100,000 to 32.6 deaths per 100,000),” the report finds.
Suicide was among the top five causes of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Alcohol-induced deaths were up for the fourth successive year, rising another 9 per cent between 2021 and 2022, largely driven by chronic conditions such as liver cirrhosis and liver failure.
The largest increase in alcohol induced deaths since 2021 was females 45 and over and males 55 and over.
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education chief executive Caterina Giorgi said the rise in alcohol-induced deaths was “absolutely devastating.”
“These deaths can be prevented if governments introduce common sense measures to prevent harm, like preventing harmful marketing that targets people who are most at risk, nationwide awareness-raising campaigns, and addressing the unchecked expansion of alcohol delivery,” Ms Giorgi said.
“We also need to ensure that everyone who reaches out for help gets the support they need.”
If you or someone you know requires assistance or support, please call Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 224 636).
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