National Death Index

The National Death Index (NDI) is a data base developed and maintained by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in Canberra. The data base is a listing of all deaths that have occurred in Australia since 1980. It is an invaluable tool for epidemiologists and clinicians in following up research cohorts using record linkage.

Establishment of an Australian National Death Index was first proposed by the National Health and Medical Research Council in October 1979. The proposal was endorsed by the National Committee for Health and Vital Statistics in July 1982, and by the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in April 1984. The Public Health Advisory Committee recommended, in August 1984, that the National Death Index should be co-located with the National Cancer Statistics Clearing House at the then Australian Institute of Health. Consultation with the States and Territories followed and, by late 1992, all States and Territories had agreed to participate in the National Death Index.

The successful development and implementation of the National Death Index is due to the effective cooperation between the Institute, the State and Territory Registrars, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Note: The National Death Index cannot be used to locate missing family members. We recommend you contact the registry of births, deaths, and marriages in your state or territory to advise you on how best to proceed.