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Life expectancy and mortality

Death rates

In 2015–2019, the age-standardised death rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples was 922 deaths per 100,000 persons (1,036 per 100,000 for males and 819 per 100,000 for females) (AIHW & NIAA 2022).

Death rates among Indigenous Australians generally increased with age, with the lowest rate among children aged 5–14 (17 deaths per 100,000 population). The oldest age group — those 75 and over — died at the rate of 7,283 deaths per 100,000 population (Figure LM 3).

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In 2021, there were 4,081 deaths among all Indigenous Australians, with a median age at death of 61.9 years.

The highest rate of deaths among Indigenous Australians occurred in Remote and Very remote areas (14.6 per 1,000 standard population) – 1.7 times the rate of death in Major cities (8.8 per 1,000).

For infants, the death rate in Remote and Very remote areas was 7.9 per live births – 1.9 times the rate of death in Major cities (4.2 deaths per live births) (Figure LM 4).

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From 2013 to 2021, age-standardised death rates for Indigenous Australians changed minimally at a national level. However, death rates in Remote and Very remote areas appeared to fall considerably (from 17.5 to 14.6 deaths per 1,000 standard population).

The age-standardised death rates in non-remote areas increased somewhat over the same period (Figure LM 5).

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