The latest statistical snapshot on deaths, causes of death and life expectancy in Victoria raises some interesting data for the death care industry.
In 2017, there were 160,909 deaths registered in Australia, 2,405 more than the number registered in 2016 (158,504). In Victoria, there were 39,791 deaths, 341 more than the number registered in 2016 (39,450).
As our population grows and ages, an increase in the number of deaths can be expected. The baby boomers are getting older, and in the next 25 years the number of people who die each year will double.
Top 10 Areas for Deaths in Victoria
In 2017, Greater Geelong recorded more deaths (1,952) than any other local government area. Greater Geelong also recorded the highest standardised death rate (5.7 deaths per 1,000 population). The following table shows the top 10 local government areas of deaths registered in Victoria.
| Local Government Area |
Number of Deaths
|
Standardised Death Rates (per 1000 population) |
| Greater Geelong | 1,952 | 5.7 |
| Mornington-Peninsula | 1,425 | 5.0 |
| Casey | 1,333 | 5.2 |
| Monash | 1,285 | 4.5 |
| Moreland | 1,203 | 5.4 |
| Brimbank | 1,136 | 5.5 |
| Boroondara | 1,128 | 4.3 |
| Kingston | 1,125 | 4.8 |
| Darebin | 1,102 | 5.4 |
| Whitehorse | 1,066 | 4.3 |
Victoria deaths compared to other states
In 2017, (24.7%) of deaths in Australia were to residents of Victoria. The following table shows the distribution of deaths registered in Australia’s states and territories.
| State |
Number of Deaths
|
% of Deaths |
| NSW | 52 778 | 32.8 |
| VIC | 39 791 | 24.7 |
| QLD | 31 555 | 19.6 |
| SA | 14 052 | 8.7 |
| WA | 14 494 | 9.0 |
| TAS | 4 780 | 3.0 |
| NT | 1 106 | 0.7 |
| ACT | 2 320 | 1.4 |
| AUSTRALIA | 160 909 | 100.0 |
Other Death Facts and Statistics
More males die than females
For nearly all age groups, there were more male deaths (82,858) registered in 2017 than female deaths (78,051), resulting in a sex ratio of 106.2 male deaths for every 100 female deaths. The exceptions were the 5-9 and 10-14 years age groups where the male and female death rates were the same, and 100 years and over where male death rates were slightly lower than females.
Most Australians die at an older age
In 2017, the median age at death was 78.9 years for males and 85.0 years for females. Over the past 10 years, median age at death has increased by 1.4 years for males and 1.5 years for females at the national level. In 2017, the highest median age at death was in Victoria for males (80.2 years) and in South Australia for females (85.8 years). The lowest medians were in the Northern Territory (62.0 years and 65.3 years respectively). Although most Australians would prefer to die at home, the majority of deaths occur in hospital or in residential care.
Infant deaths have increased
In 2017, there were 1,019 infant deaths (deaths of children aged less than one year) registered in Australia (562 boys and 457 girls). This was a 5.1% increase compared with the number registered in 2016 (970). However, over the past 10 years, the number of infant deaths has decreased overall (with some fluctuations) from 1,203 in 2007.
What are the most common causes of death?
Death comes to everyone eventually but in Australia half of the people who died before age 75 could have potentially delayed it if they had taken better care of their health. National health data shows about 40 per cent of mortality in this country in the past five years could be traced to six causes: heart attacks, dementia, lung cancer, strokes, lung disease and diabetes.
Are You a Funeral Consumer?
If you or a friend has used a Melbourne funeral home in the past, don’t automatically assume it’s the best choice. Not all Funeral Directors in Melbourne are the same. So it pays to do your homework!
eziFunerals has partnered with some of the best funeral directors in Australia. Melbourne funeral directors listed with eziFunerals are small family owned businesses that provide a flexible, personalised service and real value for money when compared to the large corporate brands. They work for you and not shareholders of publicly listed companies.
At the time of publication, the premium funeral directors in Melbourne with eziFunerals are:
If you need a Quick Quote, you can connect with Funeral Directors in Victoria by filling in a simple and easy quote request form.
Are you an Independent Funeral Director?
eziFunerals is Australia’s largest online funeral planning platform that specifically targets the needs of funeral consumers and independent funeral homes.
The financial performance of funeral homes in Victoria is strongly influenced by the number of deaths in each year. However, medical advances, higher living standards and improved attitudes to health have helped lift the average life expectancy, slowing death-rates.
Together with the expansion of publicly listed companies (InvoCare and Propel Funeral Partners) and increased competition, there is a greater need for independent funeral homes in Victoria to examine death patterns and marketing strategies to maintain revenue growth.
If you are an independent funeral home and would like to learn more about deaths in your area, please contact Peter Erceg, Owner & Founder of eziFunerals on 0466890703.
About eziFunerals
eziFunerals is a free consumer advocacy and funeral planning platform that supports individuals and families cope with end of life decisions, death and funerals. We are an independent, Australian-owned and operated company. We are not a subsidiary of any other corporation. We are not part of any other funeral company. Founded by consumers frustrated by how difficult it was to get independent information, eziFunerals supports consumers plan for end of life, plan a funeral, compare prices and select the right funeral director anywhere, anytime.