Improved life expectancy for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the Northern Territory, 1999–2018: overall and by underlying cause of death

Objectives: To provide updated estimates of life expectancy at birth for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the Northern Territory, 1999–2018; to quantify the contributions of changes in life years lost to disease-specific causes of death to overall changes in life expectancy. 

Design, setting, participants: Analysis of Australian Coordinating Registry data on underlying and nine multiple causes of death (ICD-10) for deaths in the NT, by age, sex, and Indigenous status, 1 January 1999 – 31 December 2018. 

Main outcome measures: Life expectancy at birth by year and 5-year period, by Indigenous status and sex; change in life expectancy by year and 5-year period, by Indigenous status and sex; contributions in changes in life years lost to leading underlying causes of death, by 5-year period, Indigenous status and sex. 

Results: Life expectancy for Indigenous men increased from 56.6 years in 1999 to 65.6 years in 2018 (change, 9.0 years; 95% CI, 7.9–10.0 years) and from 64.8 to 69.7 years for Indigenous women (4.9 years; 95% CI, 3.2–6.7 years); for non-Indigenous men, it increased from 77.4 to 81.0 years (3.6 years; 95% CI, 2.8–4.4 years), and from 84.3 to 85.1 years for non-Indigenous women (0.8 years; 95% CI, –0.4 to 1.9 years). Increased life expectancy for Indigenous men was primarily linked with fewer years of life lost to cancer (23% of overall change), unintentional injuries (18%), and cardiovascular disease (17%), and for Indigenous women with fewer life years lost to cancer (24%), intentional injuries (17%), and kidney disease (14%). During 1999–2018, the difference in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people declined by 26% for men (from 20.8 to 15.4 years) and by 21% for women (from 19.5 to 15.4 years). 

Conclusions: Life expectancy improved markedly during 1999–2018 for Indigenous people in the NT, particularly with respect to fewer years of life lost to cancer, injuries, and chronic disease. The smaller gains in life expectancy for non-Indigenous people were linked with improved survival for those with cancer and neurological conditions.