The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has recently released the Causes of Death data for the 2022 calendar year.
In 2022, the Australian age-standardised death rate increased to 547.6 deaths per 100,000 population compared to 507.2 per 100,000 population in 2021.
Over the past decade across Australia, deaths from accidental falls have more than doubled. Accidental falls are the 11th leading cause of death compared to 18th in 2013 and are the highest-ranked external cause of death with a median age of 87.5.
Additionally, suicide was the 15th leading cause of death, with a median age of 45.6 and a 9.1% increase in the alcohol-induced death rate since 2021.
Closer to home, the recent ABS data highlights that 1,513 Western Australians lost their lives due to an injury in 2022, a 5% increase from 2021.
Leading causes of injury-related fatality included falls (n=526), intentional self-harm (n=377), transport injuries (n=218) and poisoning (n=196). Similar to previous years, injury remains the leading cause of death among individuals aged 1 to 44.
Injury is a complex issue and involves the implementation of evidence-informed injury prevention strategies.
Know Injury and Learn more about how you can prevent injuries in your community by using a public health approach.