The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) published some excellent data on the sad topic of mortality (death) in Australia. In doing that, they nicely defined why it takes patience to see the best quality death data in Australia.
Presenting the data from Jan to May 2024, the ABS noted that this was similar to 2023 and 3.0% fewer deaths than the same period of 2023.[1]
The peak in winter for the previous years looks to be on track to occur this year; the colder months are never kind to older people, who die at the highest rates per 100,000 estimated resident population.
Cancer is the highest-ranked group causing doctor-certified death, followed by dementia ( and the harms that result from it), respiratory diseases and ischaemic heart diseases from Jan to May of 2022-2024.
COVID-19 ranked next (5th) in 2022, 7th in 2023, and 8th in 2024 for this period.
Death data are delayed because it takes time
It takes time for the process of death to be ascribed to a cause and reported. This is shown very clearly in the section of this latest ABS release called ‘Timeliness and completeness of data.’
Less than half of all certified deaths in Australia were reported within the month they occurred, and only a quarter of those certified by a coroner. The ABS notes that this is due to the complexity of coroner-involved investigations.
This increased to >92% and 80%, respectively, the month after they occurred. Two months later, the numbers rose to >97% and >91%, respectively.
This is all to say that getting good data takes time. Although we all want and expect to know everything instantly, what we learn close to an event is often only part of the bigger picture. This applies to many things, not just death data.
References
- Provisional Mortality Statistics. Provisional deaths data for measuring changes in patterns of mortality. Reference period Jan – May 2024.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/provisional-mortality-statistics/latest-release
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