Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, is now the leading cause of death in Australia, according to newly released data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). In 2024, more than 17,500 deaths were attributed to dementia—representing 9.4 per cent of all 187,268 registered deaths. Approximately 95 per cent of these deaths occurred among people aged 75 and older.
ABS head of mortality statistics Lauren Mohan reported a 39 per cent rise in dementia-related deaths over the past decade. She said this increase reflects both an ageing population and greater awareness among clinicians, resulting in more dementia diagnoses being formally recorded. However, when measured as a death rate, the trend is more stable.
Changing Patterns in Chronic Disease
Ischaemic heart disease, historically Australia’s leading cause of death, has reached its lowest rate since the ABS began reporting comparable data in 2014. Deaths from these conditions have fallen 18 per cent since 2015. While dementia is now the primary cause of death overall, ischaemic heart disease remains the leading cause among men aged 75–84.
For adults aged 1–78, suicide and coronary heart disease remain the main causes of premature mortality. In 2024, 3,307 people died by suicide, with men accounting for more than three-quarters of these deaths. The ABS expects this figure to rise as additional coronial data becomes available.
Complex Health Profiles at the End of Life
The ABS report notes that as Australians live longer, they are more likely to accumulate multiple chronic conditions. About 80 per cent of people who died with dementia in 2024 also had other diseases listed on their death certificate, including coronary heart disease, hypertension and certain cancers. Ms Mohan explained that dementia often contributes indirectly to death—for example, by increasing the risk of aspiration pneumonia, kidney failure or complications related to swallowing difficulties.
Life expectancy continues to climb, reaching 81.1 years for men and 85.1 years for women in 2022–2024. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, life expectancy remains significantly lower at 71.9 years for men and 75.6 years for women.
Public Health Implications and Need for Prevention
Dementia Australia chief executive Tanya Buchanan said the new data highlights an urgent need for stronger investment in dementia prevention and care. An estimated 433,300 Australians currently live with dementia—a number projected to exceed one million by 2065 without significant public health intervention.
Ms Buchanan emphasised the importance of addressing modifiable risk factors such as cardiovascular health, physical inactivity and social isolation. Evidence suggests that up to 45 per cent of dementia cases worldwide could be prevented or delayed through targeted risk reduction.
Other Major Causes of Death
Chronic respiratory conditions emerged as Australia’s third leading cause of death in 2024, influenced by seasonal viral infections that exacerbate underlying lung disease. Accidental falls remained the leading external cause of death, particularly among people aged 75 and older, with 4,559 deaths recorded.
Geographic differences were also notable. Dementia was the leading cause of death in major cities and inner-regional areas, while ischaemic heart disease dominated in outer-regional, remote and very remote communities—reflecting variations in health access, population demographics and socioeconomic factors.
Increases in Drug- and Alcohol-Related Deaths
Drug- and alcohol-induced deaths both rose in 2024. Drug-induced deaths increased to 1,947, largely linked to acute toxicity involving opioids and depressants such as benzodiazepines. Alcohol-induced deaths rose to 1,765, driven primarily by long-term complications including liver cirrhosis. The alcohol-induced death rate has climbed steadily over the past five years.
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