Alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex in Australia

Australia: Alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex was 509.59 deaths in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
509.59 deaths
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
15th
of 194 countries
All-time high
527.88 deaths
in 2018
All-time low
247.52 deaths
in 2002
Years of data
22
2000–2021

Alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex in Australia, 2000–2021

02004006002000201020212000: 389.7 deaths2001: 266.3 deaths2002: 247.5 deaths2003: 278.1 deaths2004: 262.6 deaths2005: 291.6 deaths2006: 271.7 deaths2007: 325.2 deaths2008: 335.9 deaths2009: 362.8 deaths2010: 368.5 deaths2011: 370.4 deaths2012: 431.2 deaths2013: 392.1 deaths2014: 473.6 deaths2015: 470.4 deaths2016: 501.3 deaths2017: 516.2 deaths2018: 527.9 deaths2019: 523.1 deaths2020: 518.8 deaths2021: 509.6 deaths

Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.

Analysis

In 2021, alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex in Australia stood at 509.59 deaths.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and up 37.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex in Australia peaked at 527.88 deaths in 2018 and was at its lowest, 247.52 deaths, in 2002.

That places Australia 15th out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex in Australia, 2000 to 2021.
Year deaths Change
2000 389.7 deaths
2001 266.31 deaths -31.7%
2002 247.52 deaths -7.1%
2003 278.1 deaths +12.4%
2004 262.58 deaths -5.6%
2005 291.57 deaths +11.0%
2006 271.66 deaths -6.8%
2007 325.2 deaths +19.7%
2008 335.89 deaths +3.3%
2009 362.8 deaths +8.0%
2010 368.49 deaths +1.6%
2011 370.38 deaths +0.5%
2012 431.22 deaths +16.4%
2013 392.07 deaths -9.1%
2014 473.58 deaths +20.8%
2015 470.4 deaths -0.7%
2016 501.3 deaths +6.6%
2017 516.18 deaths +3.0%
2018 527.88 deaths +2.3%
2019 523.1 deaths -0.9%
2020 518.81 deaths -0.8%
2021 509.59 deaths -1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 303.13 deaths 247.52 deaths 389.7 deaths 10
2010s 457.46 deaths 368.49 deaths 527.88 deaths 10
2020s 514.2 deaths 509.59 deaths 518.81 deaths 2

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 12 Poland 774.59 deaths compare
  2. 13 Belarus 759.67 deaths compare
  3. 14 Iran, Islamic Republic of 563.76 deaths compare
  4. 16 Pakistan 438.57 deaths compare
  5. 17 Ethiopia 431.62 deaths compare
  6. 18 Viet Nam 376.79 deaths compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More health data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex in Australia?
Alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex in Australia was 509.59 deaths in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 527.88 deaths in 2018.
What is the lowest alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 247.52 deaths in 2002.
How does Australia rank for alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex?
Australia ranks 15th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
Is alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 37.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/deaths-alcohol-drugs-by-sex-who/australia/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/stat/deaths-alcohol-drugs-by-sex-who/australia/">Alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex in Australia</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Alcohol and drug use disorders deaths by sex
Unit
deaths
Source
World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 4,268 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed

Estimated number of deaths from substance use disorders in females.