This report presents information on life expectancy and potentially avoidable deaths in 2015–2017 across Australia, by state/territory, Primary Health Network (PHN) and smaller local areas (SA3). 

Life expectancy at birth is the number of years a person is expected to live at the time they are born. It is a broad measure of population health. Potentially avoidable deaths are deaths below the age of 75 from conditions that are potentially preventable through primary or hospital care. Rates of potentially avoidable deaths per head of population can be a useful indicator of how well health systems are performing.

  • Cat. no: HPF 45
Findings from this report:
  • The age-standardised rate of potentially avoidable deaths was 104 per 100,000 people in 2015–2017

  • In Australia, life expectancy at birth was 82.5 years in 2015–2017

  • Between the period 2009–2011 and 2015–2017, the rate of potentially avoidable deaths decreased by around 10%

  • In 2015–2017, the PHN area with the highest average life expectancy was Northern Sydney (85.9 years)