MND research statistics

The first table below shows the Australian mortality rates for MND as the underlying cause of death. The second table shows the mortality rates for MND as associated cause of death.

Table One: Australian mortality rates for MND as the underlying cause of death

Data from 1979–1996 are adjusted to ICD10 standards using *comparability factor 1.13.
Please note that some historical figures have been updated in line with recent updates from the AIHW.
The mortality data in the AIHW National Mortality Database were provided by the Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the National Coroners Information System.

AIHW and ABS data are available only for deaths.

Year	Sex	Mortality	Mean Age at Death (years)	Age-standardised death rate per 100,000	Percent all causes of death
Year	Sex	Mortality	Mean Age at Death (years)	Age-standardised death rate per 100,000	Percent all causes of death
2022	Male	468	70.6	2.96	0.47%
	Female	325	71.6	1.84	0.36%
	Combined	793	71.0	2.37	0.42%
2021	Male	451	70.1	2.96	0.50%
	Female	328	71.5	1.91	0.40%
	Combined	779	70.7	2.40	0.45%
2020	Male	439	69.7	2.97	0.52%
	Female	305	71.3	1.83	0.40%
	Combined	744	70.4	2.37	0.46%
2019	Male	444	69.1	3.11	0.51%
	Female	344	71.0	2.16	0.43%
	Combined	788	69.9	2.60	0.47%
2018	Male	394	69.5	2.84	0.47%
	Female	302	69.8	1.94	0.39%
	Combined	696	69.6	2.36	0.43%
2017	Male	359	69.3	2.62	0.43%
	Female	300	70.5	1.95	0.38%
	Combined	659	69.9	2.26	0.41%
2016	Male	398	69.1	3.00	0.48%
	Female	322	71.2	2.16	0.42%
	Combined	720	70.1	2.56	0.45%
2015	Male	389	69.6	3.06	0.48%
	Female	300	71.0	2.07	0.39%
	Combined	689	70.2	2.52	0.43%
2014	Male	341	69.2	2.73	0.43%
	Female	260	71.9	1.84	0.34%
	Combined	601	70.3	2.26	0.39%
2013	Male	389	69.6	3.25	0.51%
	Female	325	71.7	2.33	0.45%
	Combined	714	70.5	2.76	0.48%
2012	Male	390	70.4	3.30	0.52%
	Female	288	71.8	2.13	0.40%
	Combined	678	71.0	2.66	0.46%
2011	Male	391	69.0	3.43	0.52%
	Female	286	71.9	2.14	0.40%
	Combined	677	70.2	2.74	0.46%
2010	Male	366	68.7	3.31	0.50%
	Female	282	70.3	2.23	0.40%
	Combined	648	69.4	2.71	0.45%
2009	Male	366	67.8	3.35	0.51%
	Female	233	72.4	1.86	0.34%
	Combined	599	69.6	2.57	0.43%
2008	Male	343	68.4	3.24	0.47%
	Female	268	71.1	2.21	0.38%
	Combined	611	69.6	2.69	0.42%
2007	Male	341	68.4	3.35	0.48%
	Female	254	71.7	2.13	0.38%
	Combined	595	69.8	2.69	0.43%
2006	Male	294	69.1	2.98	0.43%
	Female	239	71.4	2.08	0.37%
	Combined	533	70.1	2.48	0.40%
2005	Male	273	69.7	2.86	0.41%
	Female	226	71.0	1.97	0.36%
	Combined	499	70.3	2.35	0.38%
2004	Male	273	68.1	2.93	0.40%
	Female	234	70.6	2.13	0.36%
	Combined	507	69.3	2.48	0.38%
2003	Male	275	67.4	2.96	0.40%
	Female	255	70.4	2.33	0.40%
	Combined	530	68.9	2.63	0.40%
2002	Male	294	69.5	3.28	0.43%
	Female	207	70.3	1.94	0.32%
	Combined	501	69.8	2.54	0.37%
2001	Male	280	68.8	3.28	0.42%
	Female	191	70.7	1.82	0.31%
	Combined	471	69.6	2.44	0.37%
2000	Male	253	68.9	3.08	0.38%
	Female	204	72.5	1.97	0.33%
	Combined	457	70.5	2.44	0.36%
1999	Male	251	68.3	3.05	0.37%
	Female	184	70.0	1.84	0.30%
	Combined	435	69.0	2.37	0.34%
1998	Male	231	68.6	2.97	0.34%
	Female	200	71.6	2.03	0.33%
	Combined	431	70.0	2.43	0.34%
1997	Male	175	66.7	2.24	0.26%
	Female	192	69.4	2.01	0.31%
	Combined	367	68.1	2.10	0.28%
1996	Male	211	67.4	2.82	0.31%
	Female	130	70.0	1.39	0.21%
	Combined	341	68.4	2.01	0.26%
1995	Male	209	66.6	2.79	0.32%
	Female	163	70.3	1.78	0.328
	Combined	372	68.2	2.24	0.30%
1994	Male	204	66.9	2.82	0.30%
	Female	151	70.6	1.68	0.25%
	Combined	355	68.4	2.18	0.28%
1993	Male	191	67.9	2.66	0.29%
	Female	144	70.0	1.64	0.25%
	Combined	335	68.8	2.08	0.28%
1992	Male	176	67.1	2.58	0.27%
	Female	149	71.2	1.72	0.26%
	Combined	325	69.0	2.10	0.26%
1991	Male	150	67.7	2.28	0.23%
	Female	132	68.7	1.55	0.24%
	Combined	282	68.2	1.84	0.24%
1990	Male	183	66.7	2.70	0.28%
	Female	121	67.6	1.49	0.22%
	Combined	304	67.0	2.02	0.25%
1989	Male	172	65.8	2.71	0.26%
	Female	148	68.9	1.85	0.26%
	Combined	320	67.3	2.21	0.26%
1988	Male	178	67.2	2.87	0.27%
	Female	110	66.6	1.40	0.20%
	Combined	288	67.0	2.03	0.24%
1987	Male	136	66.4	2.19	0.21%
	Female	134	67.3	1.71	0.25%
	Combined	270	66.8	1.90	0.23%
1986	Male	119	65.9	1.99	0.19%
	Female	119	69.5	1.55	0.23%
	Combined	238	67.7	1.74	0.21%
1985	Male	154	64.1	2.53	0.24%
	Female	116	68.8	1.56	0.21%
	Combined	270	66.1	2.00	0.23%
1984	Male	117	63.3	1.99	0.20%
	Female	94	67.6	1.34	0.19%
	Combined	211	65.2	1.63	0.19%
1983	Male	121	63.7	2.08	0.20%
	Female	101	68.3	1.41	0.20%
	Combined	222	65.8	1.71	0.20%
1982	Male	116	63.9	2.07	0.18%
	Female	114	67.8	1.64	0.22%
	Combined	230	65.8	1.82	0.20%
1981	Male	108	63.2	1.95	0.18%
	Female	92	68.6	1.37	0.19%
	Combined	200	65.7	1.65	0.18%
1980	Male	127	65.4	2.40	0.21%
	Female	88	65.1	1.32	0.18%
	Combined	215	65.3	1.78	0.20%
1979	Male	107	64.9	2.02	0.18%
	Female	71	65.6	1.10	0.15%
	Combined	178	65.2	1.49	0.17%

Table Two: Australian mortality rates for MND as the associated cause of death and the total number of deaths of people with MND

The following table shows the Australian mortality rates for MND as the associated cause of death and the total number of deaths of people with MND.

Associated causes are defined by the AIHW as other diseases or conditions that contributed to the death but which were not recorded as the underlying cause.

Data on underlying causes of death up to and including 2005 are from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2006. GRIM (General Record of Incidence of Mortality) Books. AIHW: Canberra.
Data on underlying causes of death from 2006–2020 are from the Analysis of Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Mortality Database.
All data on associated causes of death are from the Analysis of Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Mortality Database.

Note: The mortality data in the AIHW National Mortality Database were provided by the Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the National Coroners Information System.

	Deaths with MND as underlying cause	Deaths with MND as associated cause	Total deaths of all people with MND*	Percent of all causes of death with MND as either underlying or associated cause
2022	793	105	898	0.47%
2021	779	56	835	0.49%
2020	744	60	804	0.50%
2019	788	80	868	0.52%
2018	696	64	760	0.47%
2017	659	76	735	0.45%
2016	720	77	797	0.50%
2015	689	71	760	0.48%
2014	601	80	681	0.44%
2013	714	76	790	0.53%
2012	678	117	795	0.54%
2011	677	113	790	0.54%
2010	648	113	761	0.53%
2009	599	138	737	0.52%
2008	611	129	740	0.51%
2007	595	110	705	0.51%
2006	533	130	663	0.50%
2005	499	110	609	0.47%
2004	507	116	623	0.47%
2003	530	115	645	0.49%
2002	501	108	609	0.46%
2001	471	121	592	0.46%
2000	457	102	559	0.44%
1999	435	102	537	0.42%
1998	431	113	544	0.43%
1997	367	126	493	0.38%

*All MND deaths is the sum of deaths listed with MND as an underlying cause or as an associated cause.

Prevalence of MND in Australia

To annually update the prevalence and number of Australians living with MND is difficult. MND is not a notifiable disease so the numbers of those living with MND in Australia are estimates only.

In 2015, a report commissioned by MND Australia estimated there were 2,094 Australians living with MND. Sixty per cent of those were male and 40 per cent female. The highest prevalence rate was reported in males aged between 75 and 84. At this time, the prevalence was estimated to be 8.7 per 100,000 Australians, or 1 in 11,434 Australians.

If the 2015 figure of 8.7 per 100,000 Australians is applied to 2023 preliminary population figures, we can estimate that there are currently 2,318 Australians living with MND.