What do we know?
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Introduction Skin cancer deaths Priority populations What do we want to know?In October 2024, the Australian Government allocated $10.3 million to tackle skin cancer in Australia. The funding brings together the expertise of the cancer sector to develop a Roadmap for a National Targeted Skin Cancer Screening Program (‘the Roadmap’).
The Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) is leading the program, with data support from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The data services include cancer and screening data development, analysis, indicator development, and other related services.
Skin cancer deaths
The National Mortality Database (NMD) and Australian Cancer Database (ACD) are essential to track trends in skin cancer deaths.
According to the Cancer data in Australia report (AIHW 2025):
- Melanoma was estimated to be the 10th and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) the equal 18th most common cause of cancer deaths in 2025.
- Since 1971, age-standardised death rates from melanoma have been higher than from NMSC (Figure 1). But since about 2013, the gap has narrowed as melanoma death rates have fallen while death rates from NMSC have stayed stable.
- Melanoma survival rates are high – with 94% of people diagnosed between 2017–2021 surviving 5 years after their diagnosis, after adjusting for general mortality.
- Survival is strongly related to Breslow thickness (a measure of how invasive the melanoma is at diagnosis). People with melanomas more than 4mm thick have a significantly lower 5-year survival rate of 66%.
- Since 1971, melanoma and NMSC death rates have been consistently higher for males than females (Figure 2).
Figure 1: Age-standardised melanoma and NMSC death rates, 1971 to 2025
| Year of death | Melanoma | Non-melanoma skin cancer |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.4 | 1.9 |
| 1972 | 3.5 | 1.6 |
| 1973 | 3.5 | 1.6 |
| 1974 | 3.7 | 1.8 |
| 1975 | 3.9 | 1.6 |
| 1976 | 3.9 | 1.7 |
| 1977 | 4.5 | 2.3 |
| 1978 | 4.3 | 2.1 |
| 1979 | 4.5 | 1.9 |
| 1980 | 4.5 | 1.6 |
| 1981 | 4.6 | 1.8 |
| 1982 | 4.7 | 1.7 |
| 1983 | 4.9 | 1.9 |
| 1984 | 4.8 | 2 |
| 1985 | 5 | 1.6 |
| 1986 | 5 | 1.7 |
| 1987 | 5.7 | 1.7 |
| 1988 | 5.4 | 1.6 |
| 1989 | 5.4 | 2.1 |
| 1990 | 5.6 | 1.9 |
| 1991 | 5.3 | 1.8 |
| 1992 | 5.5 | 2.5 |
| 1993 | 5.4 | 2.5 |
| 1994 | 5.5 | 2.3 |
| 1995 | 5.6 | 2.3 |
| 1996 | 5.3 | 2.2 |
| 1997 | 5.1 | 2 |
| 1998 | 5.4 | 2.1 |
| 1999 | 5.5 | 2.1 |
| 2000 | 5.2 | 1.9 |
| 2001 | 5.6 | 2 |
| 2002 | 5.3 | 2.1 |
| 2003 | 5.7 | 1.9 |
| 2004 | 5.8 | 1.7 |
| 2005 | 6 | 1.9 |
| 2006 | 5.8 | 1.8 |
| 2007 | 5.9 | 2 |
| 2008 | 6.1 | 1.7 |
| 2009 | 6 | 1.9 |
| 2010 | 5.9 | 1.8 |
| 2011 | 6.2 | 2 |
| 2012 | 6 | 2 |
| 2013 | 6.2 | 2.2 |
| 2014 | 5.5 | 2.1 |
| 2015 | 5.4 | 2.2 |
| 2016 | 4.5 | 2.3 |
| 2017 | 4.8 | 2.1 |
| 2018 | 4.7 | 2.1 |
| 2019 | 4.6 | 2 |
| 2020 | 4.4 | 2.1 |
| 2021 | 4.4 | 2.1 |
| 2022 | 4.1 | 2.2 |
| 2023 | 4.4 | 2 |
| 2024 | 4 | 2.1 |
| 2025 | 3.8 | 2.1 |
Age-standardised mortality rates for 2024 and 2025 are based on projected data.
Source:
AIHW (2025); Table S1 for data and footnotes.
Figure 2: Age-standardised melanoma and NMSC death rates, by sex, 1971 to 2025
| Year of death | Melanoma - males | Melanoma - females | NMSC - males | NMSC - females |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 |
| 1972 | 4.1 | 3 | 2.6 | 0.9 |
| 1973 | 4.5 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 0.9 |
| 1974 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 1.1 |
| 1975 | 5 | 3 | 2.7 | 0.9 |
| 1976 | 4.7 | 3 | 2.6 | 1.2 |
| 1977 | 6 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 1.3 |
| 1978 | 5.7 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| 1979 | 5.8 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 1.1 |
| 1980 | 5.9 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 |
| 1981 | 6.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 0.8 |
| 1982 | 6.4 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 0.9 |
| 1983 | 6 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 1 |
| 1984 | 6.4 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 1.1 |
| 1985 | 6.5 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 0.7 |
| 1986 | 6.8 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 0.8 |
| 1987 | 8.3 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 0.7 |
| 1988 | 7.3 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 0.7 |
| 1989 | 7.5 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 0.8 |
| 1990 | 7.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0.7 |
| 1991 | 7.5 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 0.8 |
| 1992 | 7.5 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 1 |
| 1993 | 8.1 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 8.4 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 1.1 |
| 1995 | 8.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 1.2 |
| 1996 | 7.7 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 1.2 |
| 1997 | 7.3 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.1 |
| 1998 | 7.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.1 |
| 1999 | 7.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 1 |
| 2000 | 7.3 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 1 |
| 2001 | 7.8 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 1.1 |
| 2002 | 8.2 | 3 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2003 | 8.4 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 1 |
| 2004 | 8.8 | 3.4 | 3 | 0.8 |
| 2005 | 9 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 1 |
| 2006 | 8.2 | 3.9 | 3 | 1 |
| 2007 | 8.9 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 1 |
| 2008 | 9.1 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 0.9 |
| 2009 | 8.9 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 1 |
| 2010 | 9 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 0.9 |
| 2011 | 9.6 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 1.1 |
| 2012 | 9 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 1 |
| 2013 | 9.4 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 1.1 |
| 2014 | 8 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| 2015 | 7.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| 2016 | 6.6 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2017 | 6.7 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 1.1 |
| 2018 | 6.9 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 1.1 |
| 2019 | 6.7 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 1 |
| 2020 | 6.5 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 1.1 |
| 2021 | 6.3 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2022 | 6.2 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 1.1 |
| 2023 | 6.5 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 5.9 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 1.1 |
| 2025 | 5.7 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 1.1 |
Age-standardised mortality rates for 2024 and 2025 are based on projected data.
Source:
AIHW (2025); Table S2 for data and footnotes.
Priority populations
Not all people have the same risk of developing or dying from skin cancer. Consistent with the Australian Cancer Plan (Cancer Australia 2025), the Roadmap will consider potential inequities in outcomes for the following priority populations:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people.
- Children.
- Adolescents and young adults.
- Older Australians.
- People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
- People with disability.
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) people.
- People with mental health conditions.
- People living in rural and remote areas.
- People living in lower socioeconomic areas.
The Roadmap will also consider potential inequities for people with poorer skin cancer outcomes that do not fall into the priority groups identified in the Australian Cancer Plan, such as those who work in outdoor occupations and might be exposed to more ultraviolet radiation.
Data for these groups are limited in the NMD and ACD, especially for NMSC. Where data are available, they are often only reported for melanoma and by age, sex, geography, and Indigenous status.
Known trends for melanoma death rates by priority populations are summarised below (AIHW 2021). Death rates are higher for:
-
Older Australians (65+) compared with younger Australians.
-
Non-Indigenous Australians compared with First Nations people.
-
People living in regional areas compared with people living in remote areas and Major cities
-
People living in areas of most socioeconomic disadvantage compared with people living in areas of least socioeconomic disadvantage
What do we want to know?
The NMD and ACD lack information for additional priority populations, including ancestry, disability status, and occupation.
To fill this gap, the AIHW linked deaths and Census data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA). This data was used to:
- identify potential inequities in melanoma and NMSC deaths by priority populations
- include new analysis by ancestry, disability status, education, and occupation
- assess the feasibility of using national linked data to monitor skin cancer deaths.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2021) Cancer in Australia 2021, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 01 October 2025.
AIHW (2025) Cancer data in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 08 October 2025.
Cancer Australia (2025) Australian Cancer Plan – Achieving equity, Cancer Australia, Australian Government, accessed 02 October 2025.