Caution:
This site includes information about child deaths, which some readers may find distressing. If you need support, free and confidential help is available.
We wish to convey our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the infants, children and young people in NSW who have died. It is our foremost responsibility to learn from these deaths and to use that knowledge to make a difference.
Biennial report of the deaths of children in New South Wales: 2020 and 2021
The report analyses the 950 deaths of children and young people in NSW over 2020-2021.
It examines trends, causes, and demographic patterns over the past 15 years, showing where progress has occurred and where inequities persist. The report highlights that overall, child and infant mortality continues to decline. However, it identifies groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, those living in regional and remote areas, children with a child protection history, and those from the most disadvantaged communities, who remain disproportionately affected.
Page last updated
27 November 2023
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Biennial report of the deaths of children in New South Wales: 2020 and 2021Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people with lived experience should be aware that this report includes information about child deaths.
We use the Mindframe guidelines on responsible, accurate and safe suicide and self-harm reporting.
The report details how infant and child mortality rates in NSW fell between 2007 and 2021.The decline has occurred across most causes of death – including natural causes and external causes such as transport, drowning and other unintentional injury-related causes. The infant (under 1 year) death rate decreased by 28% and the death rate for children aged 1 to 17 years declined by 24%. However, the falling mortality rates are not equal across all groups. Children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, those living in regional and remote areas, those living in the most socioeconomic disadvantaged communities, and those with a child protection history remain at higher risk than their peers.
While natural causes result in more deaths than external causes overall, the report finds that suicide has become the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 10 – 17, with the rate increasing by 68% over the 15 year period..
The report includes 2 annexures: