Melanoma rates in Australia have nearly doubled in recent decades and the sunburnt country now has the world's second highest incidence of the skin cancer.

An estimated 1800 people in Australia will die from melanoma this year and 13,300 new cases will be diagnosed, according a major skin cancer report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on Wednesday.

Melanoma rates in Australia have nearly doubled in recent decades. Credit:Andrew Quilty

An estimated two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70.

The AIHW report shows melanoma rates in Australia have nearly doubled since 1982, but there has been a drop in the rates of young people under 40 getting the disease.