Allergic Rhinitis / hay fever


Entry DateCategoriesTitleContenthf:doc_categories
February 28, 2025Allergic Rhinitis / hay fever, SeasonsPrevalence of Allergic Rhinitis, 2022 and by states/territories 2001 to 2022 (ABS)

According to the National Health Survey 2022, over 1 in four Australians 23.9% had Allergic Rhinitis (AR or hay fever) in 2022:

Age 0–14 15–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65 years  and over 15–44 25–44 45–64 65–74 75 years and over 0–17 18 years and over 15 years and over Total all ages
AR prevalence (%) 12.7 26.8 25.3 27.6 27.7 28.7 23.5 26.7 26.6 28.3 25.4 20.8 14.0 26.7 26.5 23.9

 

You can access AR prevalence for each state/territory in the data downloads, Tables 28 to 35, from 2001 to 2022

Prevalence of AR in % Crude rate age-standardised
Jurisdiction 2001 2004–05 2007–08 2011–12 2014–15 2017–18 2022 2001 2004–05 2007–08 2011–12 2014–15 2017–18 2022
NSW 13.1 13.8 13.0 15.5 18.4 17.3 20.6 13.1 13.8 13.1 15.6 18.6 17.2 20.5
VIC 17.5 18.2 17.7 18.9 21.2 23.1 29.8 17.5 18.1 17.7 19.0 21.2 23.1 29.7
QLD 13.2 14.1 11.6 12.4 16.8 15.3 18.1 13.2 14.1 11.5 12.5 16.8 15.3 18.0
SA 19.8 20.9 17.4 19.6 21.3 22.7 27.6 20.0 21.0 17.3 19.8 21.4 22.8 26.7
WA 18.3 18.8 19.8 20.9 21.0 20.0 27.0 18.3 18.7 19.6 20.9 21.1 20.1 26.9
TAS 15.8 14.7 16.6 19.1 21.7 21.3 26.0 16.2 15.0 16.9 19.8 22.8 22.5 26.0
NT 14.2 7.9 6.9 12.9 11.9 13.4 13.4 13.0 7.2 6.9 12.5 11.8 13.6 13.4
ACT 26.0 21.6 21.0 22.0 25.9 29.3 34.3 25.2 21.3 20.7 22.0 25.8 29.2 33.9
allergic-rhinitis-hay-fever seasons
July 1, 2021Allergic Rhinitis / hay fever, SeasonsPrevalence of allergic rhinitis / hay fever between 2001 and 2017/2018 (ABS)

Each year is a different NHS survey, need to go into past and future releases, and download the data for each one.

Prevalence of hay fever in Australia 2001 – 2017/18
Year %
2001 15.5
2004/05 16.0
2007/08 15.1
2011/12 16.8
2014/15 19.5
2017/18 19.3
allergic-rhinitis-hay-fever seasons
July 1, 2021Air Quality, Allergic Rhinitis / hay fever, Climate changeClimate change and allergy in Australia: an innovative, high-income country, at potential risk – 2018

Introduction
– Impacts of climate change on allergens and allergic diseases are multifaced and supported by a body of sophisticated research (mostly international)
– Prevalence of asthma and allergy is high in Australia by international standards
– Research in Australia links environmental allergen exposure and outdoor fungal spores to health outcomes such as sales of anti-allergic medications, asthma emergency department presentations and asthma hospitalisation
– Climate plays a large role in allergic organisms, impacting production and our eventual exposure
– Australians vulnerability to adverse impacts of climate change on allergens and allergic diseases was highlighted by the 2016 epidemic thunderstorm asthma event in Melbourne.

Methods: A review of international and Australian research on climate change, allergens and allergy published from 2000 onwards.

Results and Discussion
Impacts of climate change on allergens and allergic disease are many and varied, including;
– Increase in pollen production, atmospheric concentration and allergenicity, changes in seasonality, and dispersion;
– Changes in fungal spore seasonality and increase in production and allergenicity;
– Changes to indoor environment such as moisture and mold growth;
– Changes in distribution and seasonality of stinging insect allergens;
– Increase in allergenicity of plans which cause skin reactions; and
– Potential increase in concentration of food allergens, such as peanuts (understudied area).
Research primarily focuses on impacts of increasing or projected increase in temperatures and CO2.
Pollen is the key focus of the article/where the bulk of the evidence is
Most studies are international, and while some included allergens present in Australia, there is an urgent need for Australian focused research.
Given the high prevalence of allergic diseases in Australia, it could be argued that these impacts pose a serious climate change-human health risk to Australia and should be a priority.
In Australia, no national or state/territory body has responsibility for the monitoring, reporting and forecasting of environmental allergens such as airborne pollen and fungal spores. Our monitoring is still geographically sparse and sporadic (e.g. some monitor for 3-month period and some year-round). This is due to poor, limited or short-term funding.
Australia has an impressive wealth of experience and expertise which we should be drawing on.

air-quality allergic-rhinitis-hay-fever climate-change
July 1, 2021Allergic Rhinitis / hay fever, SeasonsPrevalence of allergic rhinitis by state and territory (hay fever) 2017-2018 (AIHW)

19.3% of Australians had allergic rhinitis (one in five) in 2017/18. This has increased from 15.5% in 2001.
The Australian Capital Territory has the highest prevalence of allergic rhinitis.

Prevalence of hay fever by state and territory 2017/18
ACT 29.4
NSW 17.3
NT 13.3
QLD 15.3
SA 22.7
Tas 21.3
Vic 23.1
WA 20
Australia 19.3
allergic-rhinitis-hay-fever seasons