Infants (<1 year old): 1,000 x (Numerator ÷ Denominator)
Children (0–4 year olds): 100,000 x (Numerator ÷ Denominator)

Calculated separately for each of the two age groups, and for all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Variability bands are to be calculated for single-year rates and aggregate rates by state/territory using the following method for estimating 95% confidence intervals:

CI (CR) = CR ± 1.96 x (CR/√d)

Where d = number of deaths

         CI = confidence interval

         CR = crude rate

Presented as:

• number of deaths per 1,000 live births (infant)
• number of deaths per 100,000 population (child).

Rate ratios and rate differences are calculated for comparing Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Infant mortality rates: The rates for a single year use single year infant deaths for the numerator, and the number of single year live births for the denominator. The rates for 5 years of data combined use the average of 5 years data for the numerator, and the number of single year live births in the midpoint year of the 5 years for the denominator.

Child mortality rates: The rates for a single year use single year data for the numerator, and the estimated resident population at a mid-point of that period for the denominator. The rates for 5 years of data combined use the average of 5 years data for the numerator and mid-point for the denominator.

• Number of deaths among infants (<1 year old).
• Number of deaths among children (0–4 year olds).

• Number of live births; and
• Population aged 0–4.

2017–19—Nationally and state/territory

2015–19—State and territory, by Indigenous status.

2019—Nationally, infant (<1 year old).

2019—Nationally, children (0–4 year olds) (not reported).

2019—Nationally, by Indigenous status (not reported).

2018—Nationally, by remoteness children (0–4 year olds) (Major Cities, Inner and Outer Regional combined, Remote and Very remote combined) (not reported).

Some disaggregations may result in numbers too small for publication. Disaggregation by Indigenous status will be based on data only from jurisdictions for which the quality of Indigenous identification is considered acceptable—New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory.

Most recent data available for 2021 National Healthcare Agreement performance reporting: 2019.

Because of small numbers of deaths each year data are presented in 3-year (total population) or 5-year (Indigenous population) groupings (state and territory only). Infant mortality rates for the Indigenous population are also presented at the state and territory level in 3-year groupings.

Single year data are reported for time series analysis (total population, infants only).

A system error affected the reporting of Western Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander death registrations for 2007, 2008 and 2009 which affected the WA and national death rates reported for the 2011 and 2012 COAG Reform Council reports. These data have been revised for 2013 reporting.

Data by remoteness may be available, pending assessment of data quality.

Further details are available from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (Indicator 1.20).

N[NN].N

National Healthcare Agreement

Australian Bureau of Statistics

PB b-Better health: halve the mortality gap for Indigenous children under five by 2018, 2021

National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes:
Halve the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children under five within a decade.

Specification: Final, the measure meets the intention of the indicator.

Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC), 2017. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2017 Report. Canberra: AHMAC. Viewed 13 May 2020, https://www.niaa.gov.au/resource-centre/indigenous-affairs/health-performance-framework-2017-report