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How do regional and remote death rates compare to major cities?

standardised_mortality_rate_by_remoteness_area

All causes standardised mortality ratio, by Remoteness Area, 2002-04Source: Rural, regional and remote health: a study on mortality, v2.

For the period 2002-04:

  • Death rates in Inner/Outer regional areas were about 10% higher than those in Major cities.
  • Death rates in Remote and Very remote areas were between 20-70% higher than those in Major cities.

A major contributor to elevated death rates in Remote/Very remote areas is Indigenous Australian mortality, primarily because Indigenous Australians constitute a larger proportion of the population in these areas, and have higher death rates than non-Indigenous Australians.

What are the leading causes to elevated death rates outside major cities?

The specific causes of elevated death rates outside Major cities are coronary heart disease, other diseases of the circulatory system, motor vehicle accidents and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

For more detailed statistics on death rates across regions see  Rural, regional and remote health: a study on mortality.