From the Minister for Health

Media release

From the Minister for Health

Friday, 20 May 2005

LIFE EXPECTANCY BOOMING FOR ALL VICTORIANS

Girls born in Victoria are expected to live to the grand old age of 84 according to new figures released today by Health Minister Bronwyn Pike.

“And boys are expected to have a life span of 79 years – an indication of an increasingly healthy society,” Ms Pike said.

“Whether measured for Victoria as a whole, or the smallest Victorian Local Government Area, there is improvement,” she said. *How YOUR area rates: See tables Pages 2 - 4.

Detailing new life-expectancy-at-birth estimates for those born between 1999 and 2003 Ms Pike said the figures show that we are living in an increasingly healthy society.

“Life expectancy for a boy born in Victoria in 2003 has reached 78.8 years while it is higher at 83.8 years for a girl,” Ms Pike said.

“The challenge is to ensure that Victorians from all walks of life and from all parts of the State have the opportunity to live longer.”

Key findings of the life expectancy survey include:

·  Victorian male life expectancy rose by 1.0 per cent over 1997-2001 while Victorian female life expectancy improved by 0.7 per cent - a difference of 0.3 per cent in favour of males. The annual improvement in life expectancy has been greater for males over many years.

·  Nillumbik (81.5) is the local government area with the highest male life expectancy. Melbourne (85.7) has the highest female life expectancy with Nillumbik (85.2) a close second.

·  Life expectancy at birth has improved significantly in males in Banyule (1.7%) and Greater Dandenong (1.8%). No LGA has shown statistically significant change in female life expectancy.

·  The gap between the highest and lowest male life expectancy among LGAs is 6 years (Nillumbik 81.5 and La Trobe 75.3). The gap between the highest and lowest female life expectancy in LGAs is 5 years (Melbourne 85.7 and Melton 80.8).

·  The gap between highest and lowest male life expectancy in LGAs has widened over the period 1997-2001 and 1999-2003 from 5.8 to 6.2 years, while for females the gap has also increased slightly from 4.7 to 4.9 years.

·  Twelve LGAs have higher than state average male life expectancy while 22 LGAs have lower. Twelve LGAs have higher than state average female life expectancy while 15 LGAs have lower.

·  The rural/metropolitan gap in life expectancies at birth is not reducing, but remains just over 1.5 years in males and just under the same in females.

VICTORIA Males

Life expectancy Life expectancy

1997-2001 Significance 1999-2003 Significance % change Sig

Alpine 77.2 77.6 0.6%

Ararat 75.8 L 76.4 L 0.9%

Ballarat 75.8 L 76.4 L 0.8%

Banyule 77.8 79.1 H 1.7% +

Bass Coast 76.5 77.1 L 0.7%

Baw Baw 76.2 L 77.1 1.2%

Bayside 79.5 H 80.3 H 0.9%

Benalla 77.2 77.6 0.6%

Boroondara 79.2 H 80.0 H 1.0%

Brimbank 77.2 77.6 0.5%

Buloke 76.1 L 76.7 L 0.9%

Campaspe 75.5 L 76.9 L 1.8%

Cardinia 78.2 79.0 1.1%

Casey 78.6 H 79.5 H 1.1%

Central Goldfields 76.1 L 76.7 L 0.9%

Colac-Otway 77.1 78.3 1.5%

Corangamite 76.0 L 77.0 L 1.4%

Darebin 76.5 L 77.1 L 0.7%

East Gippsland 75.5 L 75.8 L 0.4%

Frankston 76.2 L 77.0 L 1.0%

Gannawarra 75.3 L 77.4 2.8%

Glen Eira 78.6 H 78.9 H 0.4%

Glenelg 75.8 L 75.7 L 0.0%

Golden Plains 76.9 77.7 1.1%

Greater Bendigo 76.5 L 77.4 L 1.2%

Greater Dandenong 76.1 L 77.5 L 1.8% +

Greater Geelong 77.1 77.7 0.8%

Greater Shepparton 77.4 78.0 0.7%

Hepburn 76.9 77.7 1.1%

Hindmarsh 76.5 76.8 L 0.3%

Hobsons Bay 76.8 77.6 1.1%

Horsham 76.5 76.8 L 0.3%

Hume 77.4 77.9 0.6%

Indigo 76.2 L 77.1 L 1.2%

Kingston 78.2 H 78.7 H 0.7%

Knox 78.1 H 78.1 0.0%

Latrobe 75.2 L 75.3 L 0.1%

Loddon 76.1 L 76.7 L 0.9%

Macedon Ranges 76.7 77.3 0.7%

Manningham 80.6 H 80.6 H 0.0%

Mansfield 77.2 77.6 0.6%

Maribyrnong 74.8 L 75.8 L 1.3%

Maroondah 78.0 78.5 0.6%

Melbourne 76.8 78.1 1.6%

Melton 77.1 78.1 1.3%

Mildura 75.8 L 76.4 L 0.8%

Mitchell 76.5 76.9 L 0.6%

Moira 76.1 L 76.0 L 0.0%

Monash 79.6 H 80.4 H 1.0%

Moonee Valley 77.2 78.2 1.3%

Moorabool 76.9 77.7 1.1%

Moreland 77.2 77.6 0.6%

Mornington Peninsula 77.5 78.5 1.3%

Mount Alexander 76.7 77.3 0.7%

Moyne 76.0 L 77.0 L 1.4%

Murrindindi 76.5 76.9 L 0.6%

Nillumbik 79.6 H 81.5 H 2.4%

Northern Grampians 75.8 L 76.4 L 0.9%

Port Phillip 75.7 L 76.6 L 1.2%

Pyrenees 75.8 L 76.4 L 0.9%

Queenscliff 77.1 77.7 0.8%

South Gippsland 76.5 77.1 L 0.7%

Southern Grampians 75.8 L 75.7 L 0.0%

Stonnington 79.0 H 80.1 H 1.5%

Strathbogie 76.1 L 76.0 L 0.0%

Surf Coast 77.1 78.3 1.5%

Swan Hill 75.3 L 77.4 2.8%

Towong 76.2 L 77.1 L 1.2%

Wangaratta 77.2 77.6 0.6%

Warrnambool 76.2 77.4 1.6%

Wellington 76.3 L 76.4 L 0.1%

West Wimmera 76.5 76.8 L 0.3%

Whitehorse 79.3 H 79.9 H 0.7%

Whittlesea 78.6 H 79.3 H 0.9%

Wodonga 76.2 L 77.1 L 1.2%

Wyndham 76.5 L 77.9 1.8%

Yarra 75.8 L 77.2 L 1.8%

Yarra Ranges 78.0 78.5 0.7%

Yarriambiack 76.5 76.8 L 0.3%

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

VICTORIA Females

Life expectancy Life expectancy

1997-2001 Significance 1999-2003 Significance % change Sig

Alpine 82.7 83.3 0.7%

Ararat 81.6 82.1 L 0.6%

Ballarat 81.5 L 81.6 L 0.1%

Banyule 82.6 83.4 1.0%

Bass Coast 81.7 L 83.1 1.7%

Baw Baw 82.5 82.5 -0.1%

Bayside 83.9 H 84.7 H 1.0%

Benalla 82.7 83.3 0.7%

Boroondara 83.4 H 83.9 H 0.6%

Brimbank 82.8 83.2 0.5%

Buloke 82.3 81.9 L -0.4%

Campaspe 82.0 81.9 L -0.1%

Cardinia 81.9 82.4 0.7%

Casey 83.6 H 84.3 H 0.8%

Central Goldfields 82.3 81.9 L -0.4%

Colac-Otway 83.3 84.6 H 1.6%

Corangamite 81.6 L 81.9 L 0.4%

Darebin 82.9 83.3 0.4%

East Gippsland 81.3 L 82.1 L 0.9%

Frankston 82.2 82.6 0.4%

Gannawarra 82.6 83.3 0.8%

Glen Eira 83.8 H 84.7 H 1.0%

Glenelg 81.7 82.3 0.7%

Golden Plains 82.3 82.6 0.4%

Greater Bendigo 82.1 82.4 L 0.4%

Greater Dandenong 82.4 83.3 1.1%

Greater Geelong 82.4 82.7 L 0.4%

Greater Shepparton 83.1 83.4 0.4%

Hepburn 82.3 82.6 0.4%

Hindmarsh 82.0 82.3 0.3%

Hobsons Bay 82.3 82.9 0.7%

Horsham 82.0 82.3 0.3%

Hume 82.9 82.9 0.0%

Indigo 82.0 82.2 L 0.1%

Kingston 82.5 82.9 0.5%

Knox 82.6 82.6 L 0.0%

Latrobe 80.9 L 81.4 L 0.6%

Loddon 82.3 81.9 L -0.4%

Macedon Ranges 82.5 83.2 0.9%

Manningham 84.0 H 84.4 H 0.4%

Mansfield 82.7 83.3 0.7%

Maribyrnong 82.3 82.9 0.8%

Maroondah 82.7 83.2 0.7%

Melbourne 84.3 H 85.7 H 1.7%

Melton 80.2 L 80.8 L 0.8%

Mildura 81.8 82.4 0.8%

Mitchell 82.4 83.0 0.7%

Moira 81.9 82.6 0.8%

Monash 84.1 H 84.6 H 0.5%

Moonee Valley 83.5 H 84.3 H 1.0%

Moorabool 82.3 82.6 0.4%

Moreland 82.3 82.8 0.6%

Mornington Peninsula 83.0 83.6 0.8%

Mount Alexander 82.5 83.2 0.9%

Moyne 81.6 L 81.9 L 0.4%

Murrindindi 82.4 83.0 0.7%

Nillumbik 84.9 H 85.2 H 0.4%

Northern Grampians 81.6 82.1 L 0.6%

Port Phillip 81.6 L 82.0 L 0.5%

Pyrenees 81.6 82.1 L 0.6%

Queenscliff 82.4 82.7 L 0.4%

South Gippsland 81.7 L 83.1 1.7%

Southern Grampians 81.7 82.3 0.7%

Stonnington 83.2 84.4 H 1.4%

Strathbogie 81.9 82.6 0.8%

Surf Coast 83.3 84.6 H 1.6%

Swan Hill 82.6 83.3 0.8%

Towong 82.0 82.2 L 0.1%

Wangaratta 82.7 83.3 0.7%

Warrnambool 82.9 83.7 1.0%

Wellington 81.7 82.1 L 0.4%

West Wimmera 82.0 82.3 0.3%

Whitehorse 84.0 H 84.7 H 0.8%

Whittlesea 83.0 83.9 1.0%

Wodonga 82.0 82.2 L 0.1%

Wyndham 82.2 83.1 1.1%

Yarra 81.8 L 81.9 L 0.1%

Yarra Ranges 83.8 H 84.0 0.2%

Yarriambiack 82.0 82.3 0.3%

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: Ben Hart 96515799 or 0407 445 551 www.vic.gov.au