Deaths/mortality 2023 (ABS, NAC, AIHW)
In 2023, there were 474 deaths with asthma as underlying cause in Australia, including 325 females and 149 males (see table below) (ref 1):
* Women over 75 are the most at risk, with 43% of asthma deaths in this age group in 2023 (Ref 2,3)
* Asthma deaths were nearly identical to last year, with a return to pre-pandemic level after seeing a reduction in 2021 due to pandemic measures resulting in fewer respiratory infections (ref 3)
* However, over the last 35 years, asthma deaths have halved, from 964 deaths in 1989 (ref 3)
The age-standardised death rate in 2023 was 1.4 deaths per 100,000 people (1.7 for females and 1.0 for males) which remains similar to before the pandemic. (ref 1)
Asthma deaths by state/territory and sex 2023 (ref 1)
| Asthma related deaths by state or territory and sex 2023 | ||||||
| Number | Standardised Death Rate | |||||
| State or Territory | Males | Females | Persons | Males | Females | Persons |
| ACT | 3 | 6 | 7 | np | np | np |
| NT | 3 | 1 | 4 | np | np | np |
| TAS | 7 | 11 | 15 | np | np | np |
| WA | 19 | 26 | 45 | np | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| SA | 17 | 29 | 42 | np | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| QLD | 15 | 62 | 77 | np | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| VIC | 36 | 74 | 109 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| NSW | 61 | 118 | 177 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Australia | 149 | 325 | 474 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 1.4 |
| Note: males + females does not equal persons here, and the sum of all states does not equal Australia | ||||||
NAC infographic (ref 2)
According the AIHW Asthma webpage updated on 17 Feb 2026:(ref 4)
480 people died from asthma (underlying cause) in 2023, with a death rate (not adjusted for age) of 1.8 deaths per 100,000 population.
Mortality rates:
- increased with age (highest in people 75+ at 13.2 per 100,000)
- was higher in females vs males, with a difference more pronounced in people 75+
- changed little over time
- was 3.4 times higher in First Nations people after adjusting for age (31 deaths in 2023, crude rate 3 per 100,000)
