ACT residents live longer and have higher education levels and employment rates than the rest of the country, according to a recent report.

Chief Minister and Minister for Health Katy Gallagher tabled the 2012 Chief Health Officer’s report in the ACT Legislative Assembly, which provides information on the health and wellbeing of the territory’s population between 2008-10.

The report showed that the ACT population has high life expectancy in comparison to other jurisdictions, and mortality rates for many leading health concerns such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma and diabetes are declining.

It also found the infant mortality rate in the ACT is lower than the rest of the country and continues to decline, as does the child death rate.

There are also fewer low-birth weight babies in the ACT compared to the rest of Australia.

Between 2008-10 immunisation coverage was well above the national average while smoking rates in adults and adolescents are lower than the Australian rate and continue to decline. Declines were also evident in the long term use of illicit drugs in adults.

Overall, chronic conditions accounted for approximately 80 percent of the total burden of disease and injury; anxiety and depression are the leading specific causes of burden of disease in the ACT.

Other contributors included obesity and declines in physical activity.

Ms Gallagher said cancer continues to be the leading cause of death and illness in the ACT and a major contributor to the total burden of disease, but ACT residents have also experienced declining rates of lung cancer in males and cervical cancer in females.