Life expectancy decline in Australia sparks reflections on health and demographics
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Australia's life expectancy has long been a key indicator of public health and societal well-being, reflecting advances in medicine, lifestyle choices, and socio-economic conditions.
Recently, however—in a revelation that has taken many by surprise—a new government report has indicated that life expectancy in Australia has declined for the first time in decades.
This shift has prompted critical reflections among Australians on health trends, demographic shifts, and the impacts of various societal factors on longevity.
Australia's life expectancy has decreased for the first time since the mid-1990s.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), which issues a comprehensive report on the nation's health every two years, highlighted a slight but significant reduction in life expectancy.
According to its latest report, a child born between 2020 and 2022 is now expected to live 81.2 years if male and 85.3 years if female, marking a decrease of 0.1 years for both genders compared to previous figures.
This dip in life expectancy coincides with an ageing population that is increasingly in need of primary care.
The report underscored that more Australians are living with chronic diseases and spending longer periods in ill health.
The statistics are sobering: approximately six in ten Australians are currently living with at least one chronic illness, and this number is projected to rise, with a growing number of individuals likely to suffer from multiple chronic conditions.
‘[It is] due to the common risk factors and disease pathways that chronic conditions share,’ the report stated.
Between 2002 and 2022, chronic illnesses accounted for approximately 90 per cent of deaths in Australia.
Conditions like cardiovascular diseases and cancer were prevalent causes of death among individuals aged over 45, while dementia stood out as the leading cause of death among those aged over 85.
The financial commitment to health care in Australia is substantial, with the country spending around $241 billion in the 2021-22 period, equating to about $9,365 per person.
This places Australia 15th out of 38 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) nations in terms of health spending relative to GDP, which is about 10.5 per cent of the nation's GDP.
While this is slightly higher than the median spend, it falls short of the expenditure of countries like the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Despite this investment, disparities persist.
The AIHW report reveals that people living in the lowest socio-economic areas have the highest rates of public health service usage but the lowest rates of service.
This suggests a need for a more equitable distribution of health resources and services.
The report also identifies depression, anxiety, dementia, and chronic liver disease as some of the fastest-growing chronic conditions.
These emerging trends have led to an increase in the average number of years Australians spend in ill health, with both men and women experiencing roughly an extra year of compromised health.
Health economist Martin Hensher noted that the rising number of individuals living with chronic illnesses, including multiple conditions, will require increased primary care services.
‘It is very likely to drive up the need and demand for health care,’ he pointed out.
‘It will increase the need for health care, and you deal with that either by increasing the resources available, or you're feeling more acute strain and having to ration care to people in different ways.’
Dr Hensher also observed that healthcare expenditure has steadily risen over recent decades.
‘So the question is all about how much value are you getting for that spending,’ he explained.
‘Are you spending and putting your increased spending into the right things, which will get the best value treatments for the people with the increasing burden of chronic diseases?’
COVID-19 also affected life expectancy, according to the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare. Dr Hensher attributed the decline directly to the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2022, COVID-19 emerged as the third leading cause of death, marking the first instance in over fifty years that an infectious disease ranked among Australia's top five causes of death.
From the onset of the pandemic until 29 February 2024, over 22,000 deaths in Australia were attributed to or associated with COVID-19.
However, hospitalisations due to COVID-19 have started to exhibit signs of decline.
‘This is likely to be due to the increase in deaths seen in 2022, of which close to half were due to COVID-19 and the remainder due to increases in other causes,’ AIHW’s report read.
Reportedly, Australia is not the only country experiencing a decline in life expectancy.
The United States has seen a more significant decrease, from 78.9 to 76.4 years, while the United Kingdom's life expectancy has dropped from 81.3 to 80.4 years.
‘Globally, there, there's been a bigger drop in life expectancy than there was in Australia. So this is a phenomenon,’ Dr Hensher explained.
‘The continuous trend of life expectancy improvement, maybe running out of steam a bit.’
‘We haven't seen evidence for that yet in Australia. But that's the wider trend that we need to keep an eye on,’ he added.
As Australians grapple with the implications of a recent decline in life expectancy, there's a simultaneous focus on regions prioritising well-being.
Amid concerns about longevity trends, understanding which areas foster better community health and resilience becomes increasingly relevant.
This juxtaposition prompts reflection on how local environments and social factors can significantly impact both individual health outcomes and broader societal measures of well-being.
How do you feel about the decline in life expectancy? What steps do you think should be taken to address the growing burden of chronic diseases? We invite you to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
Recently, however—in a revelation that has taken many by surprise—a new government report has indicated that life expectancy in Australia has declined for the first time in decades.
This shift has prompted critical reflections among Australians on health trends, demographic shifts, and the impacts of various societal factors on longevity.
Australia's life expectancy has decreased for the first time since the mid-1990s.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), which issues a comprehensive report on the nation's health every two years, highlighted a slight but significant reduction in life expectancy.
According to its latest report, a child born between 2020 and 2022 is now expected to live 81.2 years if male and 85.3 years if female, marking a decrease of 0.1 years for both genders compared to previous figures.
Australia's life expectancy dropped for the first time since the mid-90s by 0.1 years for both genders. Credit: Shutterstock
This dip in life expectancy coincides with an ageing population that is increasingly in need of primary care.
The report underscored that more Australians are living with chronic diseases and spending longer periods in ill health.
The statistics are sobering: approximately six in ten Australians are currently living with at least one chronic illness, and this number is projected to rise, with a growing number of individuals likely to suffer from multiple chronic conditions.
‘[It is] due to the common risk factors and disease pathways that chronic conditions share,’ the report stated.
Between 2002 and 2022, chronic illnesses accounted for approximately 90 per cent of deaths in Australia.
Conditions like cardiovascular diseases and cancer were prevalent causes of death among individuals aged over 45, while dementia stood out as the leading cause of death among those aged over 85.
The financial commitment to health care in Australia is substantial, with the country spending around $241 billion in the 2021-22 period, equating to about $9,365 per person.
This places Australia 15th out of 38 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) nations in terms of health spending relative to GDP, which is about 10.5 per cent of the nation's GDP.
While this is slightly higher than the median spend, it falls short of the expenditure of countries like the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Despite this investment, disparities persist.
The AIHW report reveals that people living in the lowest socio-economic areas have the highest rates of public health service usage but the lowest rates of service.
This suggests a need for a more equitable distribution of health resources and services.
The report also identifies depression, anxiety, dementia, and chronic liver disease as some of the fastest-growing chronic conditions.
These emerging trends have led to an increase in the average number of years Australians spend in ill health, with both men and women experiencing roughly an extra year of compromised health.
Health economist Martin Hensher noted that the rising number of individuals living with chronic illnesses, including multiple conditions, will require increased primary care services.
‘It is very likely to drive up the need and demand for health care,’ he pointed out.
‘It will increase the need for health care, and you deal with that either by increasing the resources available, or you're feeling more acute strain and having to ration care to people in different ways.’
Dr Hensher also observed that healthcare expenditure has steadily risen over recent decades.
‘So the question is all about how much value are you getting for that spending,’ he explained.
‘Are you spending and putting your increased spending into the right things, which will get the best value treatments for the people with the increasing burden of chronic diseases?’
COVID-19 also affected life expectancy, according to the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare. Dr Hensher attributed the decline directly to the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2022, COVID-19 emerged as the third leading cause of death, marking the first instance in over fifty years that an infectious disease ranked among Australia's top five causes of death.
From the onset of the pandemic until 29 February 2024, over 22,000 deaths in Australia were attributed to or associated with COVID-19.
However, hospitalisations due to COVID-19 have started to exhibit signs of decline.
‘This is likely to be due to the increase in deaths seen in 2022, of which close to half were due to COVID-19 and the remainder due to increases in other causes,’ AIHW’s report read.
Reportedly, Australia is not the only country experiencing a decline in life expectancy.
The United States has seen a more significant decrease, from 78.9 to 76.4 years, while the United Kingdom's life expectancy has dropped from 81.3 to 80.4 years.
‘Globally, there, there's been a bigger drop in life expectancy than there was in Australia. So this is a phenomenon,’ Dr Hensher explained.
‘The continuous trend of life expectancy improvement, maybe running out of steam a bit.’
‘We haven't seen evidence for that yet in Australia. But that's the wider trend that we need to keep an eye on,’ he added.
As Australians grapple with the implications of a recent decline in life expectancy, there's a simultaneous focus on regions prioritising well-being.
Amid concerns about longevity trends, understanding which areas foster better community health and resilience becomes increasingly relevant.
This juxtaposition prompts reflection on how local environments and social factors can significantly impact both individual health outcomes and broader societal measures of well-being.
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