Media release
From the Minister for Health
Monday, 21 April 2003
VICTORIANS’ LIFE EXPECTANCY ON THE RISE
Victorians now live longer, with men’s life-expectancy improving faster than women, Health
Minister Bronwyn Pike said today.
Ms Pike was detailing new life expectancy-at-birth estimates for those born between 1997 and 2001
in every Victorian local government area (LGA). *How YOUR area rates: See tables Pages 2 to 4.
“These figures show that we are living in an increasingly healthy society. The challenge is to
ensure that Victorians from all walks of life have the opportunity to live to a ripe old age,” Ms
Pike said.
Manningham and Nillumbik areas have the highest male and female life expectancy respectively.
Young Victorian boys today can expect to live for 77.4 years and girls for 82.7 years, according
to new figures from the Human Services Department’s Health Surveillance and Evaluation Unit.
Female life expectancy has risen by 1.3 years while male life expectancy improved by 1.8 years
over the past five years.
Key findings of the life expectancy study include:

There is a six-year gap between the highest and lowest male life expectancy among
LGAs (Manningham 80.6 years and Maribyrnong 74.8). For females, it is five years
(Nillumbik 84.9 and Melton 80.2 years);

The gap between highest and lowest male life expectancy fell over the period 1992-96
and 1997-2001 from 6.9 to 5.8 years, while for females it widened from 4 to 4.7 years;

Twelve LGAs have higher than state average male life expectancy, while 32 have lower.
Eleven LGAs have higher than state average female life expectancy while 10 have lower;

Lower than average LGAs are mostly in rural Victoria, with the exceptions for females
being Melton, Port Phillip and Yarra. For males, they are Frankston, Greater Dandenong,
Darebin, Maribyrnong, Port Phillip, Wyndham and Yarra;

Overall rural Victoria has lower than state average life expectancy for males and females
(76.4 and 82.1 respectively) while the metropolitan area has higher than state average life
expectancy (males 77.9 and females 83);

The rural/metro gap has remained fairly constant at 1 to 1.5 years over the past five years;
and

Rural LGA changes less likely to be statistically significant, due to their smaller populations.
Media contact: Tom Laurie on 0418 362 409 www.vic.gov.au
Female Life Expectancy at birth
VICTORIA Females
Alpine
Ararat
Ballarat
Banyule
Bass Coast
Baw Baw
Bayside
Boroondara
Brimbank
Buloke
Campaspe
Cardinia
Casey
Central Goldfields
Colac-Otway
Corangamite
Darebin
Delatite
East Gippsland
Frankston
French Island
Gannawarra
Glen Eira
Glenelg
Golden Plains
Greater Bendigo
Greater Dandenong
Greater Geelong
Greater Shepparton
Hepburn
Hindmarsh
Hobsons Bay
Horsham
Hume
Indigo
Kingston
Knox
Latrobe
Loddon
Macedon Ranges
Manningham
Maribyrnong
Maroondah
Melbourne
Melton
Mildura
Mitchell
Moira
Monash
Moonee Valley
Moorabool
Moreland
Mornington Peninsula
Mount Alexander
Moyne
Murrindindi
Nillumbik
Northern Grampians
Life expectancy
Life expectancy
1992-1996
Significance 1997-2001 Significance % change
80.6
82.7
3.5%
79.6
L
81.6
3.8%
80.2
L
81.5
L
2.4%
82.0
H
82.6
1.3%
81.0
81.7
L
1.8%
81.2
82.5
2.9%
82.5
H
83.9
H
2.4%
82.6
H
83.4
H
1.5%
81.2
82.8
2.8%
80.4
82.3
3.7%
81.3
82.0
2.0%
82.0
81.9
1.1%
81.6
83.6
H
3.2%
80.4
82.3
3.7%
81.5
83.3
3.3%
81.0
81.6
L
1.8%
81.1
82.9
2.8%
80.6
82.7
3.5%
81.0
81.3
L
1.4%
81.6
82.2
1.5%
81.0
81.7
L
1.8%
80.9
82.6
3.4%
82.3
H
83.8
H
2.5%
80.8
81.7
2.2%
82.0
82.3
1.5%
81.5
82.1
1.4%
80.8
82.4
2.7%
81.2
82.4
1.9%
80.6
83.1
4.1%
82.0
82.3
1.5%
81.7
82.0
1.4%
81.5
82.3
1.8%
81.7
82.0
1.4%
80.3
L
82.9
4.0%
80.9
82.0
2.4%
81.5
82.5
1.8%
81.3
82.6
2.3%
79.4
L
80.9
L
2.8%
80.4
82.3
3.7%
80.5
82.5
3.5%
82.9
H
84.0
H
2.1%
80.6
82.3
3.0%
81.3
82.7
2.4%
82.9
H
84.3
H
3.2%
80.8
80.2
L
1.1%
81.0
81.8
2.0%
80.7
82.4
3.3%
81.0
81.9
2.2%
83.4
H
84.1
H
1.6%
81.8
83.5
H
2.7%
82.0
82.3
1.5%
81.5
82.3
1.6%
80.9
83.0
3.2%
80.5
82.5
3.5%
81.0
81.6
L
1.8%
80.7
82.4
3.3%
81.3
84.9
H
5.7%
79.6
81.6
3.8%
Media contact: Tom Laurie on 0418 362 409 www.vic.gov.au
Sig
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Port Phillip
Pyrenees
Queenscliff
South Gippsland
Southern Grampians
Stonnington
Strathbogie
Surf Coast
Swan Hill
Towong
Wangaratta
Warrnambool
Wellington
West Wimmera
Whitehorse
Whittlesea
Wodonga
Wyndham
Yarra
Yarra Ranges
Yarriambiack
79.4
79.6
81.2
81.0
80.8
81.7
81.0
81.5
80.9
80.9
80.6
81.1
80.6
81.7
82.1
81.5
80.9
81.5
80.2
82.2
81.7
L
H
L
H
81.6
81.6
82.4
81.7
81.7
83.2
81.9
83.3
82.6
82.0
82.7
82.9
81.7
82.0
84.0
83.0
82.0
82.2
81.8
83.8
82.0
L
L
H
L
H
3.7%
3.8%
1.9%
1.8%
2.2%
2.6%
2.2%
3.3%
3.4%
2.4%
3.5%
3.8%
2.5%
1.4%
2.9%
2.8%
2.4%
2.0%
3.0%
2.7%
1.4%
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
H indicates a life expectancy at birth significantly higher than the Victorian average
L indicates a life expectancy at birth significantly lower than the Victorian average
* indicates a statistically significant change in life expectancies between the two periods
Male Life Expectancy at birth
VICTORIA Males
Alpine
Ararat
Ballarat
Banyule
Bass Coast
Baw Baw
Bayside
Boroondara
Brimbank
Buloke
Campaspe
Cardinia
Casey
Central Goldfields
Colac-Otway
Corangamite
Darebin
Delatite
East Gippsland
Frankston
French Island
Gannawarra
Glen Eira
Glenelg
Golden Plains
Greater Bendigo
Greater Dandenong
Life expectancy
Life expectancy
1992-1996
Significance 1997-2001 Significance % change
76.0
77.2
1.5%
73.7
L
75.8
L
2.7%
74.0
L
75.8
L
2.4%
76.3
H
77.8
2.0%
75.0
76.5
2.0%
74.8
76.2
L
1.8%
77.6
H
79.5
H
2.6%
77.3
H
79.2
H
2.5%
74.9
L
77.2
3.1%
74.6
76.1
L
2.0%
75.2
75.5
L
0.4%
76.4
78.2
2.3%
76.6
H
78.6
H
2.6%
74.6
76.1
L
2.0%
75.9
77.1
1.6%
74.1
L
76.0
L
2.5%
74.7
L
76.5
L
2.5%
76.0
77.2
1.5%
74.2
L
75.5
L
1.8%
75.5
76.2
L
1.0%
75.0
76.5
2.0%
74.5
L
75.3
L
1.2%
76.8
H
78.6
H
2.3%
74.0
L
75.8
L
2.4%
74.6
L
76.9
3.1%
75.0
76.5
L
1.9%
75.3
76.1
L
1.0%
Media contact: Tom Laurie on 0418 362 409 www.vic.gov.au
Sig
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Greater Geelong
Greater Shepparton
Hepburn
Hindmarsh
Hobsons Bay
Horsham
Hume
Indigo
Kingston
Knox
Latrobe
Loddon
Macedon Ranges
Manningham
Maribyrnong
Maroondah
Melbourne
Melton
Mildura
Mitchell
Moira
Monash
Moonee Valley
Moorabool
Moreland
Mornington Peninsula
Mount Alexander
Moyne
Murrindindi
Nillumbik
Northern Grampians
Port Phillip
Pyrenees
Queenscliff
South Gippsland
Southern Grampians
Stonnington
Strathbogie
Surf Coast
Swan Hill
Towong
Wangaratta
Warrnambool
Wellington
West Wimmera
Whitehorse
Whittlesea
Wodonga
Wyndham
Yarra
Yarra Ranges
Yarriambiack
75.5
76.0
74.6
75.4
74.6
75.4
75.5
75.0
75.7
76.1
73.2
74.6
75.4
78.6
73.0
76.6
73.8
75.5
74.4
75.8
74.9
78.0
75.8
74.6
75.3
75.7
75.4
74.1
75.8
76.6
73.7
71.9
73.7
75.5
75.0
74.0
75.4
74.9
75.9
74.5
75.0
76.0
74.7
74.9
75.4
77.5
76.8
75.0
75.4
71.7
76.3
75.4
L
L
H
L
H
L
L
H
H
L
H
H
L
H
77.1
77.4
76.9
76.5
76.8
76.5
77.4
76.2
78.2
78.1
75.2
76.1
76.7
80.6
74.8
78.0
76.8
77.1
75.8
76.5
76.1
79.6
77.2
76.9
77.2
77.5
76.7
76.0
76.5
79.6
75.8
75.7
75.8
77.1
76.5
75.8
79.0
76.1
77.1
75.3
76.2
77.2
76.2
76.3
76.5
79.3
78.6
76.2
76.5
75.8
78.0
76.5
L
H
H
L
L
H
L
L
L
H
L
H
L
L
L
L
H
L
L
L
L
H
H
L
L
L
2.1%
1.7%
3.1%
1.5%
2.9%
1.5%
2.5%
1.6%
3.2%
2.5%
2.7%
2.0%
1.8%
2.6%
2.5%
1.8%
4.1%
2.2%
1.9%
0.9%
1.5%
2.1%
1.9%
3.1%
2.5%
2.4%
1.8%
2.5%
0.9%
4.0%
2.7%
5.3%
2.7%
2.1%
2.0%
2.4%
4.7%
1.5%
1.6%
1.2%
1.6%
1.5%
2.0%
1.9%
1.5%
2.3%
2.4%
1.6%
1.5%
5.8%
2.2%
1.5%
H indicates a life expectancy at birth significantly higher than the Victorian average
L indicates a life expectancy at birth significantly lower than the Victorian average
* indicates a statistically significant change in life expectancies between the two periods
Media contact: Tom Laurie on 0418 362 409 www.vic.gov.au
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