In a significant shift for the nation's health landscape, dementia has overtaken coronary heart disease as Australia's leading cause of death for the first time in nearly half a century.
Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that while coronary heart disease deaths have plummeted to their lowest rate since 1968, dementia-related fatalities have surged dramatically.
A Dramatic Shift in Mortality Trends
The newly published figures reveal a stark contrast in mortality trends over the past fifty years. The mortality rate for coronary heart disease has decreased by a staggering 87 per cent over this period. In contrast, the rate of deaths from dementia has increased by more than 840 per cent.
In the past year, coronary heart disease claimed just over 16,000 lives, reaching its lowest rate in 56 years. Meanwhile, more than 17,000 people died from dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, in 2024.
Lauren Moran, the bureau's head of mortality statistics, attributed the decline in heart disease deaths to improved healthcare, advanced medical interventions, and better management of risk factors like hypertension and high cholesterol.
Gender and Regional Disparities Revealed
The data uncovers significant differences in how these diseases affect various demographics. Coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men and for people living in outer regional and remote areas.
For women, however, the picture is different. Dementia has been the leading cause of death among women since 2016, with women accounting for 62 per cent of all dementia-related deaths.
Ms Moran suggested that increasing dementia deaths are likely linked to Australia's ageing population. "This is especially true for women who have longer life expectancies," she told reporters, explaining that longer lives raise the chances of developing dementia towards the end of life.
Rising Concerns: Suicide and Substance Abuse
The report also highlighted other concerning trends in national mortality. Suicide-related deaths increased by one per cent, becoming the leading cause of premature death with a median age of just 46 years.
More than 3,300 people died by suicide, with men accounting for over three quarters of these tragic deaths. The Northern Territory recorded the highest suicide rate, followed by Queensland and Tasmania.
Nieves Murray, chief executive of Suicide Prevention Australia, described the figures as "devastating and stubbornly high." He emphasised the human cost, stating, "We lost an additional 43 lives to suicide in 2024 compared to the previous year. That's more than a classroom of students, a busload of people, or an entire family every month."
The data also showed increases in drug and alcohol-induced deaths. Acute toxicity was the main cause of drug-induced deaths, while long-term complications of alcohol use, such as liver cirrhosis, drove the rise in alcohol-related fatalities over the past five years.
Call for Public Health Investment
Professor Tanya Buchanan, chief executive of Dementia Australia, noted that dementia now accounts for 9.4 per cent of all deaths. She stressed that the data demonstrates an urgent need for significant investment in public health.
"There are currently an estimated 433,300 Australians living with dementia and without significant intervention, this number is expected to increase to more than one million by 2065," Professor Buchanan warned.
This major shift in the nation's leading causes of death signals both the success of cardiovascular disease prevention and the growing challenge posed by an ageing population and neurological conditions, calling for a re-evaluation of public health priorities for the coming decades.
