Asthma prevalence 2017-2018 (ABS, AIHW)
In 2017-18, about one in nine Australians had been diagnosed with asthma (11% or total population, approximately 2.7 million people), based on self-reported data from the 2017–2018 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey (NHS) (Ref 1)
See tables (ref 1) and graph (ref 2) below for prevalence by age, gender and jurisdiction.
Note: the data refers to self-reported asthma (diagnosed by doctor or nurse), collected during the National Health Survey 2017-2018 financial year.
– select ‘data downloads’ from menu to retrieve the data cubes for more detailed information. This includes by state/territory, population characteristics and health risk factors.
Select ‘past and future releases’ for historic prevalence data
National Health Survey is conducted every 3 years.
| Prevalence of asthma by state and territory 2017-18 | ||||
| State/Territory | Prevalence (no.) | Prevalence (%) | One in… | Age standardised Prevalence (%) |
| ACT | 48,700 | 12.1 | eight (8.2) | 12.2 |
| NSW | 829,100 | 10.7 | nine (9.3) | 10.6 |
| QLD | 572,200 | 11.9 | eight (8.4) | 11.8 |
| SA | 218,800 | 13.0 | eigh (7.7) | 12.9 |
| NT | 13,100 | 7.4 | fourteen (13.5) | 7.4 |
| WA | 237,100 | 9.6 | ten (10.4) | 9.5 |
| Victoria | 714,000 | 11.4 | nine (8.8) | 11.3 |
| Tasmania | 66,000 | 12.9 | eight (7.6) | 13.0 |
| Australia | 2.7 million | 11.2% | nine (8.9) | 11.2 |
| Prevalence of asthma by age and gender 2017-18 (%) | ||||||||||
| Gender | 0-14 | 15-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | 0-17 | 18+ | Total |
| Male | 12.1 | 10.6 | 8.2 | 9.8 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 9.5 | 12 | 9.5 | 10.2 |
| Female | 7.9 | 10.5 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 14.7 | 14.8 | 14.2 | 8.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 |
| Total | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10.7 | 11.3 | 12.4 | 12.5 | 12 | 10.3 | 11.5 | 11.2 |
| Prevalence of asthma by age and gender 2017-18 (#) | ||||||||||
| Gender | 0-14 | 15-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | 0-17 | 18+ | Total |
| Male | 285,100 | 166,700 | 146,400 | 155,500 | 157,400 | 141,700 | 162,600 | 335,600 | 868,400 | 1,213,500 |
| Female | 178,100 | 157,600 | 233,600 | 208,600 | 237,200 | 214,500 | 270,400 | 219,500 | 1,280,900 | 1,497,300 |
| Total | 463,400 | 315,500 | 388,500 | 365,500 | 387,700 | 351,100 | 433,700 | 559,000 | 2,147,300 | 2,705,100 |
Prevalence 2017-18 by age and sex: AIHW (entry date 29 July 2022).
To get actual prevalence rate for each stratum, go to the AIHW webpage, Fig 2 and hover our mouse over the bar of interest.
