Deaths in Australia

Each statistic in this report represents a person, with a family and community grieving their loss. The circumstances relating to their deaths can be complex, and each experience is unique. Analysis of data related to sensitive topics (such as suicide) is important to understand who may be at risk, and where efforts can be targeted to prevent further loss of life. The AIHW respectfully acknowledges the people who have died and are described in this article.

What are psychosocial factors?

Death is not wholly attributable to disease, injury or health-related risk factors (such as smoking). It is well established that non-medical factors, such as social determinants, play a role in a person’s life and death (AIHW 2024, WHO 2025, WHO 2026). Since 2017, information on some of these factors (described as psychosocial risk factors) has been collected for coroner-referred deaths (ABS 2019).

More recently, psychosocial factors are also captured for doctor certified deaths (ABS 2024). It is important to note there is no systemic recording of these factors, and they are usually related to medical care (ABS 2024).

Deaths which are referred to a coroner are often due to external causes such as falls, road traffic accidents, poisoning and suicide. Information from police, pathology and coroner reports can provide details of the non-medical circumstances that were experienced by the person, and were thought to have contributed to the death. Understanding these circumstances can highlight the need to implement or improve social policies or interventions for specific groups of people.

Psychosocial factors can include:

• long-standing and unmodifiable circumstances (such as negative events in a person’s childhood or a history of self-harm)
• temporary factors (such as fights within a primary support group or unemployment).

See What do Australians die from? and the Cause list for further descriptions of psychosocial factors.

Types of deaths and psychosocial factors

Some causes of death are more likely to mention psychosocial factors, due to the complex nature of circumstances surrounding the death. When considering coroner certified deaths only:

• 7 out of 10 people who died due to suicide had at least one psychosocial factor mentioned
• more than one third (37%) of accidental poisoning deaths mention at least one psychosocial factor (Table S8.6).

Circumstances related to individual health status (such as health behaviours, health history and medical treatments) were the most common mentioned factor overall (Table S8.7).  However, the types of psychosocial factors are mentioned can be different for males and females, as well as when considering the underlying cause of death or the person’s age (Figure 8.2).

Figure 8.2: Leading psychosocial factors, sex and age or underlying cause of death, 2024

Factors surrounding policing & justice (such as recent release from prison or other circumstances related to legal matters) was a commonly mentioned psychosocial factor:

• overall, for males aged between 15–54
• for males and females who died due to accidental poisoning
• for males who died by suicide.

Issues surrounding intimate partners (such as relationship issues, separation/divorce) are a commonly mentioned psychosocial factor:

• for males aged 15–74
• for females aged 15–64
• for females who died due to accidental poisoning
• for males and females who died by suicide

Suicide ideation is mentioned within all age groups for both males and females. Whereas personal history of self-harm is more commonly mentioned for males aged under 45 years, and across all age groups for females.