A total of 204 deaths due to asbestosis occurred in Italy in the period 1970-1989, including 24 females; asbestosis death rates (per million) were 0.31 +/- 0.05 among males and 0.4 +/- 0.02 among females. The rates increased a little when comparing 1980-89 with 1970-79. Deaths were concentrated in a limited number of geographical areas where an extensive industrial use of asbestos is known to have occurred and where there were also high rates of mortality due to primary pleural tumours.