Overview

The Australian Burden of Disease Study 2011 provides updated estimates for over 200 diseases and injuries in Australia and for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population for 2011 and 2003.

Burden of disease measures the impact of living with illness and injury and dying prematurely. The summary measure ‘disability-adjusted life years’ (or DALY) measures the years of healthy life lost from death and illness.

More reports and statistics on burden of disease can be found under Chronic disease and Life expectancy & deaths.

Latest findings

Cancer and cardiovascular diseases were the 2 most burdensome disease groups in 2011 10% reduction in total burden between 2003 and 2011 31% of the burden of disease is preventable, being due to the modifiable risk factors included in this study Fatal burden was 55% higher in the lowest socioeconomic group compared with the highest group in 2015 Mental and substance use disorders and musculoskeletal conditions were the third most burdensome disease groups The rate of fatal burden from all diseases decreased by 19.6% between 2003 and 2015 2.4 million years of life were lost (YLL) from all diseases in 2015 Very Remote areas experienced fatal burden 1.9 times higher than Major cities in 2015 Leading causes of fatal burden over 65 years were coronary heart disease, dementia & lung cancer Leading causes of fatal burden under 45 years were suicide, poisoning & road traffic injuries-motor vehicle occupants Cancer, cardiovascular diseases and injuries were the leading causes of fatal burden in 2015 as well as 2003 and 2011 4.5 million years of healthy life lost in 2011, equivalent to 201 DALY per 1,000 people The Northern Territory has substantially higher burden than other jurisdictions Northern Territory had the highest age-standardised YLL rate for all diseases in 2015

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Highlights

4.5 millionyears lost to premature death or living with illness in 2011
31%of the disease burden in 2011 was preventable and due to modifiable risk factors included in the study
1.7 timesthe rate of disease burden was experienced in Very Remote areas compared with Major cities
What is burden of disease?
1.5 timesthe rate of disease burden was experienced in the lowest socioeconomic group compared with the highest socioeconomic group
2.3 timesthe rate of disease burden was experienced in Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians