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The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) releases information about the number of deaths from asthma in Australia annually. The time taken by the ABS to compile, analyse and release the information is at least 12 months. Latest release is for the 2008 year.
Data is now available for the following years: 2008 ~ 2007 ~ 2006 ~ 2005 ~ 2004 ~ 2003 ~ 2002 ~ 2001
2008
Asthma mortality in Australia 1960-2008
The number of asthma deaths for the decade 1998-2008 is summarised in Table 1. There were 447* deaths from asthma in 2008. This was 16.1% higher than in 2007 where 385 deaths were reported and 11.2% higher than in 2006 where 402 deaths were reported.
76.7% (343) of asthma deaths occurred in adults aged 60 years or over and 90.8% among those aged 40 years or over.
For the 10-40 year age group, there were 36 deaths (43 among 0-39 years). This number is higher than in the preceding two years (2006: 24, and 2007: 35).
Table 1 enables an examination of the trends in asthma deaths across the decade. Overall deaths decreased by 34.7% from 685 in 1998 to 447 in 2008.
Direct standardisation was used to calculate age standardised mortality for all age groups together and for young people aged 10-40 years. Asthma deaths were grouped to 10 year age groups. The average population for Australia was used as the standard.
Table 1: change in death from asthma 1998-2008.
| |
Number of deaths |
|
|
Year
|
Total
|
0-39 years
|
40 years or over
|
%40 years or over
|
|
1998
|
685
|
69
|
616
|
89.9
|
|
1999
|
424
|
62
|
362
|
85.4
|
|
2000
|
454
|
64
|
390
|
85.9
|
|
2001
|
422
|
58
|
364
|
86.3
|
|
2002
|
397
|
42
|
355
|
89.4
|
|
2003
|
314
|
39
|
275
|
87.6
|
|
2004
|
311
|
41
|
270
|
86.8
|
|
2005
|
314
|
28
|
286
|
91.1
|
|
2006
|
402
|
24
|
378
|
94.0
|
|
2007
|
385
|
36
|
349
|
90.6
|
|
2008
|
447
|
41
|
406
|
90.8
|
The following graphs show the age standardised mortality rates for asthma from 1960 to 2008.
Figure 1 shows the mortality for all people; the curve is overlaid with a curve showing a three year moving average for mortality and gives a better idea of the underlying trends in the data. After a steady decline from the late 1980s until 2004, mortality from asthma have continued to increase from 2005-2008.
Asthma Mortality in Australia: 1960-2008
all age groups
Figure 2 shows the same information (age standardised mortality and three year moving average) for young people aged 10-40 years and shows a similar trend to overall data.
Asthma Mortality in Australia: 1960-2008
10-40 year olds
 Asthma_deaths_1960-2008_fig2 32.64 Kb
Figure 3 shows the three year moving average results for age standardised death rates for all age groups and for young people aged 10-39 years. Although rates are lower for the younger age group, the graph shows that changes in rates overall have been lower although the overlying trends are similar.
Asthma Mortality in Australia: 1960-2008
all age groups compared to 10-39 years
Asthma_deaths_1960-2008_fig3 25.84 Kb
In conclusion, the numbers of deaths due to asthma have increased in 2008 and this increase is reflected in age standardised death rates for both young people aged 10-39 years and for all ages. During the last decade overall numbers of asthma deaths have decreased by 35%. Most of this decrease has occurred in older adults.
* this is based on the ABS 2010, Cause of Death data. Data cells with small values were randomly assigned to protect individual confidentiality. So, some totals do not equate the sum of their components, thus the figure of 447 deaths is used in this analysis.
Asthma Deaths Table in Australia: 1997-2008
NAC Asthma Deaths Table 1997-2008 25.77 Kb
2007
In 2007, asthma caused the deaths of 385 Australians – 17 fewer than the previous year.
The median age at death was 79.4 years overall; or 71 years for males and 82.1 years for females.
While the statistics indicate that asthma management messages are getting across to younger adults and carers of children with asthma, they also reinforce the need for increased vigilance, particularly amongst older Australians.
Media Release: Asthma Death Toll Drops 19.10 Kb
Charts Asthma deaths for 2007 19.21 Kb
Asthma deaths table 1997-2007 18.46 Kb
Content Updated 31 May, 2010
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Asthma Mortality Statistics 
