A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has revealed the most common cause of death of people by Local Government Area. The report uses data from all deaths that occurred between January 2012 and December 2016.

In Horsham Rural City Council, 13.1 per cent of deaths – or 110 – were caused by coronary heart disease. The second highest cause of death was dementia and Alzheimer's disease at 8.5 per cent or 72 deaths in total.

Other common causes of death included cerebrovascular disease at 6.8 per cent, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 4.7 per cent and colorectal cancer at 4.7 per cent.

Ararat Rural City Council was once named the most obese region in the state. The new data revealed that Ararat residents were dying of diabetes at more than twice the national rate.

Diabetes was the fourth most common cause of death for the area at 5.6 per cent or 17 total deaths.

The highest cause of death in ARCC was coronary heart disease at 16.8 per cent or 51 total deaths, while dementia and Alzheimer's disease was the second highest at 8.6 per cent.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was the third most common at 6.2 per cent.

It was a similar case in the Northern Grampians Shire Council where coronary heart disease was once again the number one killer causing 13.5 per cent of deaths or 48 total deaths.

The second highest cause of death was dementia and Alzheimer's disease at 7.9 per cent, while cerebrovascular disease was the third most common at 7.3 per cent.

Lung cancer was also a common cause of death across the three LGAs, causing 4.2 per cent of deaths in HRCC, 3.7 per cent in ARCC and 4.4 per cent in NGSC.

Coronary heart disease was the number one killer in Yarriambiack Shire Council at 13.1 per cent or 58 total deaths, West Wimmera Shire Council at 12.1 per cent or 29 total deaths, Hindmarsh at 14.6 per cent or 58 total deaths and Buloke Shire Council at 12.6 per cent or 54 total deaths.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows that people living in regional Australia are 25 per cent more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease and are 40 per cent more likely to die from diabetes.

​If you are troubled by this report, you can call Lifeline 131 114.