Climate related Deaths in Australia - Heat deaths increasing, but Cold deaths reducing

My favourite ABS release, Causes of death, was released today with 2018 figures. Always like having a look at what kills us.

Anyway, with all this talk of Climate emergencies and extinction events or the like, it is always interesting if we are seeing any of that in the figures.

Well, as you might expect, not really. Death rates over the last 20 years have actually reduced from 757 deaths per 100,000 in 1997 to 507.9 deaths per 100,000 in 2018.

And the deaths from weather are tiny.

Average yearly deaths from Excessive Cold (1997-2018) = 18 deaths
Average yearly deaths from Excessive Heat (1997-2018) = 13 deaths

It is true that Excessive Heat deaths are increasing, but at a rate of 0.54 deaths a year. So in 100 years, there will be an extra 54 deaths from heat.

But to counter that, Excessive Cold deaths are decreasing at a rate of -0.23 deaths a year. So in 100 years, there will be 23 less deaths from Cold.

So all up in 100 years, climate change will have caused an extra 31 deaths. Hardly an extinction event.