Death rate from cancer by sex in Australia
Australia: Death rate from cancer by sex was 114.55 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
114.55 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
56th
of 111 countries
All-time high
195.11 deaths per 100,000 people
in 1985
All-time low
114.55 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
73
1950–2023
Death rate from cancer by sex in Australia, 1950–2023
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, death rate from cancer by sex in Australia stood at 114.55 deaths per 100,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 73 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, death rate from cancer by sex in Australia peaked at 195.11 deaths per 100,000 people in 1985 and was at its lowest, 114.55 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2023.
Australia ranks 56th of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 73 years of available data.
Death rate from cancer by sex in Australia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 141.08 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 141.66 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1952 | 146.34 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.3% |
| 1953 | 148.87 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.7% |
| 1954 | 147.8 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1955 | 150.31 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.7% |
| 1956 | 150.93 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1957 | 155.14 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1958 | 152.77 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1959 | 157.57 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1960 | 155.54 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1961 | 155.71 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 158.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.7% |
| 1963 | 161.39 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 165.15 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 163.19 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 166.95 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 168.43 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 178.57 deaths per 100,000 people | +6.0% |
| 1969 | 177.08 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 181.61 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1971 | 181.52 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 183.78 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 186.33 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 192.12 deaths per 100,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 185.43 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.5% |
| 1976 | 185.32 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 185.42 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 187.94 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 185.9 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 191.29 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 190.67 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 191.12 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 191.78 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 192.84 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 195.11 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 188.05 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1987 | 190.44 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 190.44 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 193.07 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 186.77 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1991 | 184 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 186.43 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 183.45 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 188.65 deaths per 100,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 178.4 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.4% |
| 1996 | 178.04 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 171.63 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1998 | 171.5 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 166.27 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 164.11 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 161.88 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 158.84 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 154.02 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 153.82 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 151.72 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 145.47 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 147.3 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 141.93 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 142.51 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 140.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 134.39 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 133.55 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 128.45 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 130.47 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 127.13 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 122.54 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 122.66 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 124.29 deaths per 100,000 people | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 116.28 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 116.45 deaths per 100,000 people | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 116.05 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 114.55 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 149.25 deaths per 100,000 people | 141.08 deaths per 100,000 people | 157.57 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 165.03 deaths per 100,000 people | 155.54 deaths per 100,000 people | 178.57 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 185.54 deaths per 100,000 people | 181.52 deaths per 100,000 people | 192.12 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 191.48 deaths per 100,000 people | 188.05 deaths per 100,000 people | 195.11 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 179.52 deaths per 100,000 people | 166.27 deaths per 100,000 people | 188.65 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 153.23 deaths per 100,000 people | 141.93 deaths per 100,000 people | 164.11 deaths per 100,000 people | 9 |
| 2010s | 130.63 deaths per 100,000 people | 122.54 deaths per 100,000 people | 142.51 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 115.83 deaths per 100,000 people | 114.55 deaths per 100,000 people | 116.45 deaths per 100,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 53 Chile 116.16 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 54 Trinidad and Tobago 116.15 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 55 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 114.75 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 57 Suriname 114.13 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 58 Canada 110.68 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 59 Republic of Korea 110.52 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More health data for Australia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.9072 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 906.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 215 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 4.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0198 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 4.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.018 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is death rate from cancer by sex in Australia?
- Death rate from cancer by sex in Australia was 114.55 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest death rate from cancer by sex recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 195.11 deaths per 100,000 people in 1985.
- What is the lowest death rate from cancer by sex recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 114.55 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023.
- How does Australia rank for death rate from cancer by sex?
- Australia ranks 56th out of 111 countries with data for 2023.
- Is death rate from cancer by sex rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Death rate from cancer by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Reported deaths from malignant neoplasms in males in those aged all ages per 100,000 people.